SHEPARDBOOKLOMP 


THE  "  YORKSHIRE." 


ROUND  THE  WOULD; 


INCLUDING 

A  RESIDENCE  IN  VICTORIA,  AND  A  JOURNEY  BY  RAIL 
ACROSS  NORTH  AMERICA. 


BY   A  BOY,  bw     S»**x**^ 


EDITED  BY  SAMUEL  SMILES, 

AUTHOR  OF 

'CHARACTER,"   "SELF-HELP,"   "LIFE  OF  THE  STEPHENSONS,"  "THE  HUGUENOTS, 

ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 
1872. 


/  0  6>£3 
ancrof  t  Library 


PREFACE. 


I  HAVE  had  pleasure  in  editing  this  little  book,  not 
only  because  it  is  the  work  of  my  youngest  son,  but  also 
because  it  contains  the  results  of  a  good  deal  of  experi- 
ence of  life  under  novel  aspects,  as  seen  by  young,  fresh, 
and  observant  eyes. 

How  the  book  came  to  be  written  is  as  follows :  The 
boy,  whose  two  years'  narrative  forms  the  subject  of 
these  pages,  was  at  the  age  of  sixteen  seized  with  inflam- 
mation of  the  lungs,  from  which  he  was  recovering  so 
slowly  and  unsatisfactorily,  that  I  was  advised  by  Lon- 
don physicians  to  take  him  from  the  business  he  was 
then  learning  and  send  him  on  a  long  sea  voyage.  Aus- 
tralia was  recommended,  because  of  the  considerable 
time  occupied  in  making  the  voyage  by  sailing  ship,  and 
also  because  of  the  comparatively  genial  and  uniform 
temperature  while  at  sea. 

He  was  accordingly  sent  out  to  Melbourne  by  one  of 
Money  Wigram's  ships  in  the  winter  of  1868-9,  with  di- 
rections either  to  return  by  the  same  ship,  or,  if  the  op- 
portunity presented  itself,  to  remain  for  a  time  in  the 
colony.  It  will  be  found,  from  his  own  narrative,  that, 
having  obtained  some  suitable  employment,  he  decided 
to  adopt  the  latter  course,  and  for  a  period  of  about 
eighteen  months  he  resided  at  Majorca,  an  up-country 


vi  PREFACE. 

township  situated  in  the  gold-mining  district  of  Victo- 
ria. 

When  his  health  had  become  re-established,  he  was 
directed  to  return  home  about  the  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent year,  and  he  decided  to  make  the  return  voyage  by 
the  Pacific  route,  via  Honolulu  and  San  Francisco,  and 
from  thence  to  proceed  by  railway  across  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  New  York. 

While  at  sea  the  boy  kept  a  full  log,  intended  for  the 
perusal  of  his  relatives  at  home,  and  while  on  land  he 
corresponded  with  them  regularly  and  fully,  never  miss- 
ing a  mail.  He  had  not  the  remotest  idea  that  any  thing 
which  he  saw  and  described  during  his  absence  would 
ever  appear  in  a  book.  But  since  his  return  it  has  oc- 
curred to  the  Editor  of  these  pages  that  the  information 
they  contain  will  probably  be  found  of  interest  to  a 
wider  circle  of  readers  than  that  to  which  the  letters 
were  originally  addressed,  and  in  that  belief  the  sub- 
stance of  them  is  here  reproduced,  the  Editor's  work 
having  consisted  mainly  in  arranging  the  materials,  leav- 
ing the  writer  to  tell  his  own  story  as  much  as  possible 
in  his  own  way,  and  in  his  own  words. 

London,  November,  1871. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DOWN     CHANNEL. 

At  Gravesend.— Taking  in  Stores.— First  Night  on  Board.— "The  An- 
chor's up." — Off  Brighton. — Change  of  Wind. — Gale  in  the  Channel. 
— The  Abandoned  Ship. — The  Eddystone. — Plymouth  Harhor. — De- 
parture from  England Page  13 

CHAPTER  II. 

FLYING    SOUTH. 

My  Fellow-passengers. — Life  on  board  Ship.— Progress  of  the  Ship. — 
Her  Handling.  — A  fine  Run  down  by  the  Line.  — Passing  Ships.  — 
Amusements.  —  Climbing  the  Mizzen.  — The  Cape  de  ~Verd  Islands.  — 
San  Antonio 21 

CHAPTER  III. 

WITHIN  THE   TROPICS. 

Increase  of  Temperature. — Flying  Fish. — The  Homing  Bath  on  board. 
— Paying  my  "Footing." — The  Major's  wonderful  Story  "capped." — 
St.  Patrick's  Day.— Grampuses.— A  Ship  in  Sight.— The  "Lord  Rag- 
lan."—  Rainfall  in  the  Tropics. — Tropical  Sunsets.  —  The  Yankee 
Whaler 31 

CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  "BLUE  JACKET." 

April  Fools'  Day.— A  Ship  in  Sight.— The  "Pyrmont."— The  Rescued 
"Blue  Jacket"  Passengers. — Story  of  the  burnt  Ship. — Suffering  of  the 
Lady  Passengers  in  an  open  Boat. — Their  Rescue. — Distressing  Scene 
on  board  the  "Pyrmont" ... 40 

CHAPTER  V. 

IN   THE   SOUTH   ATLANTIC. 

Preparing  for  Rough  Weather. — The  "  George  Thompson"  Clipper. — A 
Race  at  Sea. — Scene  from  "Pickwick"  acted. — Fishing  for  Albatross. — 
Dissection  and  Division  of  the  Bird. — Whales. — Strong  Gale. — Smash 
in  the  Cabin. — Shipping  a  Green  Sea.— The  Sea-birds  in  our  Wake. — 
The  Crozet  Islands. ..  ..  48 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

NEARING   AUSTRALIA — THE   LANDING. 

Acting  on  Board. — The  Cyclone. — Clearing  the  Ship  for  Port.— Contra- 
ry Winds. — Australia  in  Sight. — Cape  Otway. — Port  Phillip  Heads. — 
Pilot  taken  on  Board. — Inside  the  Heads. — Williamstown.  —  Sand- 
ridge. — The  Landing Page  60 

CHAPTER  VII. 

MELBOURNE. 

First  Impressions  of  Melbourne. — Survey  of  the  City. — The  Streets. — 
Collins  Street. — The  Traffic. — Newness  and  Youngness  of  Melbourne. 
— Absence  of  Beggars.  —  Melbourne  an  English  City.  —  The  Chinese 
Quarter. — The  Public  Library. — Pentridge  Prison. — The  Yarra  River. 
— St.  Kilda. — Social  Experiences  in  Melbourne. — A  Marriage  Ball. — 
Melbourne  Ladies. — Visit  to  a  Serious  Family 66 

CHAPTER  VEIL 

UP-COUNTRY. 

Obtain  a  Situation  in  an  Up-country  Bank. — Journey  by  Rail. — Castle- 
maine. — Farther  Journey  by  Coach. — Maryborough. — First  Sight  of 
the  Bush. — The  Bush  Tracks. — Evening  Prospect  over  the  Country. 
— Arrival  at  my  Destination 81 

CHAPTER  IX. 

MAJORCA. 

Majorca  founded  in  a  Rush. — Description  of  a  Rush. — Diggers  camping 
out. — Gold-mining  at  Majorca. — Majorca  High  Street. — The  People. 
—The  Inns.-- -The  Churches.— The  Bank.— The  Chinamen.— Austra- 
lia the  Paradise  of  Working-men. — "  Shouting"  for  Drinks. — Absence 
of  Beggars. — No  Coppers  up-country 89 

CHAPTER  X. 

MT  NEIGHBORHOOD  AND  NEIGHBORS. 

"Dining  out."  —  Diggers'  Sunday  Dinner. — The  old  Workings. — The 
Chinamen's  Gardens. — Chinamen's  Interiors. — The  Cemetery. — The 
High  Plains.— The  Bush.— A  Ride  through  the  Bush.— The  Savoyard 
Wood-cutter. — Visit  to  a  Squatter 99 

CHAPTER  XI. 

AUSTRALIAN   WINTER — THE   FLOODS. 

The  Victorian  Climate. — The  Bush  in  Winter. — The  Eucalyptus,  or  Aus- 
tralian Gum-tree. — Ball  at  Clunes. — Fire  in  the  main  Street.  —  The 
Buggy  saved. — Down-pour  of  Rain. — Going  Home  by  Water. — The 
Floods  out. — Clunes  submerged. — Calamity  at  Ballarat. — Damage  done 
by  the  Flood. — The  Chinamen's  Gardens  washed  away 109 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XII. 

SPUING,  SUMMER,  AND    HARVEST. 

Spring  Vegetation. — The  Bush  in  Spring. — Garden  Flowers. — An  Even- 
ing Walk.  —  Australian  Moonlight. —The  Hot  North  Wind. —The 
Plague  of  Flies. — Bush  Fires. — Summer  at  Christmas. — Australian 
Fruits. — Ascent  of  Mount  Greenock. — Australian  Wine. — Harvest. — 
A  Squatter's  Farm. — Harvest-Home  Celebration. — Aurora  Australis. 
—Autumn  Rains Page  11 7 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

BUSH   ANIMALS — BIRDS — SNAKES. 

The  'Possum. — A  Night's  Sport  in  the  Bush. — Musquitoes. — Wattel 
Birds. — The  Piping  Crow. — "Miners." — Parroquet  Hunting. — The 
Southern  Cross. — Snakes. — Marsupial  Animals 131 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

GOLD-BUYING   AND    GOLD-MINING. 

How  the  Gold  is  found. — Gold -washing.  —  Quartz -crushing. — Buying 
Gold  from  Chinamen.— Alluvial  Companies. — Broken-down  Men. — 
Ups  and  Downs  in  Gold-mining. — Visit  to  a  Gold  Mine. — Gold-seek- 
ing.—Diggers'  Tales  of  lucky  Finds 139 

CHAPTER  XV. 

ROUGH   LIFE   AT   THE   DIGGINGS — "  STOP   THIEF  !" 

Gold-rushing. — Diggers'  Camp  at  Havelock. — Murder  of  Lopez. — Pur- 
suit and  Capture  of  the  Murderer. — The  Thieves  hunted  from  the  Camp. 
— Death  of  the  Murderer. — The  Police. — Attempted  Robbery  of  the 
Collingwood  Bank.  — Another  supposed  Robbery.  —  "Stop  Thief !"- 
Smart  Use  of  the  Telegraph 151 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

PLACES   ABOUT. 

Visit  to  Ballarat. — The  Journey  by  Coach. — Ballarat  founded  on  Gold. 
—  Description  of  the  Town. — Ballarat  "Corner."  —  The  speculative 
Cobbler. — Fire  Brigades. — Return  Journey. — Crab -holes. — The  Tal- 
bot  Ball.  —  The  Talbot  Fete.  —  The  Avoca  Races.  —  Sunrise  in  the 
Bush 160 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

CONCLUSION   OF   MAJORCAN   LIFE. 

Victorian  Life  English. — Arrival  of  the  Home  Mail. — News  of  the  Franco- 
German  War. — The  German  Settlers  in  Majorca. — The  single  French- 
man.— Majorcan  Public  Teas. — The  Church. — The  Ranters. — The  Tee- 
totalers.— The  Common  School. — The  Roman  Catholics.  —  Common 
School  Fe'te  and  Entertainment. — The  Mechanics'  Institute. — Funeral 

A  2 


x  CONTENTS. 

of  the  Town  Clerk.  —  Departure  from  Majorca. — The  Colony  of  Vic- 
toria  Page  175 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

ROUND     TO     SYDNEY. 

Last  Christmas  in  Australia.— Start  by  Steamer  for  Sydney. ^The  "Great 
Britain." — Cheap  Trips  to  Queenscliffe.  —  Rough  Weather  at  Sea. — 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  Mathews. — Botany  Bay. — Outer  South  Head. — Port 
Jackson. — Sydney  Cove. — Description  of  Sydney. — Government  House 
and  Domain. — Great  future  Empire  of  the  South 185 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

TO  AUCKLAND,  IN  NEW  ZEALAND. 

Leaving  Sydney. — Anchor  within  the  Heads. — Take  in  Mails  and  Pas- 
sengers from  the  "City  of  Adelaide." — Out  to  Sea  again. — Sight  New 
Zealand. — Entrance  to  Auckland  Harbor. — The  "  Galatea. " — Descrip- 
tion of  Auckland. — Founding  of  Auckland  due  to  a  Job. — Maori  Men 
and  Women. — Drive  to  Onehunga. — Splendid  View. — Auckland  Gala. 
— New  Zealand  Delays. — Leave  for  Honolulu 196 

CHAPTER  XX. 

UP    THE    PACIFIC. 

Departure  for  Honolulu. — Monotony  of  a  Voyage  by  Steam. — Desagre'- 
mens.  — The  "Gentlemen"  Passengers.— The  one  Second-class  "Lady." 
— The  Rats  on  Board. — The  Smells.— Flying  Fish. — Cross  the  Line. — 
Treatment  of  Newspapers  on  Board. — Hawaii  in  Sight. — Arrival  at 
Honolulu 205 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

HONOLULU  AND   THE   ISLAND   OF   OAHU. 

The  Harbor  of  Honolulu. — Importance  of  its  Situation. — The  City. — 
Churches  and  Theatres.— The  Post-office.— The  Suburbs.— The  King's 
Palace. — The  Nuuanu  Valley. — Poi. — People  coming  down  the  Val- 
ley.—The  Pali.—  Prospect  from  the  Cliffs.— The  Natives  (Kanakas). 
— Divers. — The  Women. — Drink  Prohibition. — The  Chinese. — The- 
atricals.— Musquitoes 212 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

HONOLULU   TO   SAN  FRANCISCO. 

Departure  from  Honolulu.  — Wreck  of  the  "Saginaw." —  The  "Moses 
Taylor." — The  Accommodation. — The  Company  on  Board. — Behavior 
of  the  Ship. — Death  of  a  Passenger. — Feelings  on  Landing  in  a  new 
Place. — Approach  the  Golden  Gate. — Close  of  the  Pacific  Log. — First 
Sight  of  America 228 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

SAN   FRANCISCO   TO   SACRAMENTO. 

Landing  at  San  Francisco. — The  Golden  City. — The  Streets. — The  Busi- 
ness Quarter.— The  Chinese  Quarter. — The  Touters. — Leave  San  Fran- 
cisco.— The  Ferry-boat  to  Oakland. — The  Bay  of  San  Francisco. — 
Landing  on  the  Eastern  Shore. — American  Railway  Carriages. — The 
Pullman's  Cars. — Sleeping  Berths. —Unsavory  Chinamen. — The  Coun- 
try.— City  of  Sacramento Page  235 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ACROSS   THE   SIERRA   NEVADA. 

Rapid  Ascent.— The  Trestle-bridges.  —Mountain  Prospects.— "  Placers." 
—Sunset. — Cape  Horn.— Alta. — The  Sierras  by  Night. — Contrast  of 
Temperatures.— The  Snow -sheds. — The  Summit. — Reno. — Breakfast 
at  Humboldt.  — The  Sage  Brush. — Battle  Mount. — Shoshonie  Indians. 
— Ten-mile  Canon. — Elko  Station. — Great  American  Desert. — Arrival 
at  Ogden 245 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

ACROSS   THE   ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 

Start  by  Train  for  Omaha. — My  Fellow-passengers. — Passage  through  the 
Devil's  Gate.  — Weber  Canon.  —  Fantastic  Rocks.  —  "  Thousand-mile 
Tree." — Echo  Canon. — More  Trestle-bridges. — Sunset  amid  the  Bluffs. 
— A  Wintry  Night  by  Rail. — Snow-fences  and  Snow-sheds. — Laramie 
City. — Red  Buttes. — The  Summit  at  Sherman. — Cheyenne  City. — The 
Western  Prairie  in  Winter.  —  Prairie  Dog  City.— The  Valley  of  the 
Platte. — Grand  Island. —Cross  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte. — Arrival 
in  Omaha 254 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

OMAHA    TO     CHICAGO. 

Omaha  Terminus. — Cross  the  Missouri.— Council  Bluffs. —The  Forest. — 
Cross  the  Mississippi. — The  cultivated  Prairie. — The  Farmsteads 'arid 
Villages. — Approach  to  Chicago. — The  City  of  Chicago. — Enterprise 
of  its  Men. — The  Water  Tunnels  under  Lake  Michigan. — Tunnels  un- 
der the  River  Chicago. — Union  of  Lake  Michigan  with  the  Mississippi. 
— Description  of  the  Streets  and  Buildings  of  Chicago. — Pigs  and  Corn. 
— The  Avenue. — Sleighing. — Theatres  and  Churches 263 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CHICAGO   TO   NEW   YORK. 

Leave  Chicago. — The  Ice  Harvest. — Michigan  City.— The  Forest. — A 
Railway  Smash. — Kalamazoo.  —  Detroit.—  Crossing  into  Canada.— 
American  Manners. — Roebling's  Suspension  Bridge. — Niagara  Falls  in 
Winter.— Goat  Island.— The  American  Fall.— The  Great  Horse-shoe 


xii  CONTENTS.   - 

Fall. — The  Rapids  from  the  Lovers'  Seat. — American  Cousins. — Roch- 
ester.— New  York.— A  Catastrophe.— Return  Home Page  274 

INDEX .   287 


ILLUS  TK  ATIOKS. 

Pnge 

"  The  Yorkshire, "  Outward  Bound Frontispiece. 

Map  of  the  Ship's  Course,  Plymouth  to  Melbourne 56-7 

View  of  Melbourne,  Victoria 66 

Map  of  the  Gold-mining  District,  Victoria. 83 

View  of  Sydney,  Port  Jackson 185 

View  of  Auckland,  New  Zealand 196 

Map  of  the  Ship's  Course  up  the  Pacific. 206 

Maps  of  Auckland,  and  Sydney,  Port  Jackson 206 

View  of  Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands 212 

Map  of  Oahu,  Sandwich  Islands 214 

Maps  of  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railways 238-9,  264-5 

View  of  Niagara  Falls — American  side 274 


ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DOWN      CHANNEL. 

At  Gravesend.  —  Taking  in  Stores.  —  First  Night  on  Board.  —  "The  An- 
chor's up."—  Off  Brighton.  —  Change  of  Wind.  —  Gale  in  the  Channel. 
—  The  Abandoned  Ship.  —  The  Eddy  stone.  —  Plymouth  Harbor.  —  De- 
parture from  England. 


February  :  At  Gravesend.  —  MY  last  farewells 
are  over,  my  last  adieus  are  waved  to  friends  on  shore, 
and  I  am  alone  on  board  the  ship  "  Yorkshire,"  bound 
for  Melbourne.  Every  thing  is  in  confusion  on  board. 
The  decks  are  littered  with  stores,  vegetables,  hen-coops, 
sheep-pens,  and  coils  of  rope.  There  is  quite  a  little 
crowd  of  sailors  round  the  capstan  in  front  of  the  cabin 
door.  Two  officers,  with  lists  before  them,  are  calling 
over  the  names  of  men  engaged  to  make  up  our  com- 
plement of  hands,  and  appointing  them  to  their  differ- 
ent watches. 

Though  the  ship  is  advertised  to  sail  this  evening,  the 
stores  are  by  no  means  complete.  The  steward  is  get- 
ting in  lots  of  cases  ;  and  what  a  quantity  of  pickles  ! 
Hens  are  coming  up  to  fill  the  hen-coops.  More  sheep 
are  being  brought  ;  there  are  many  on  board  already  ; 
and  here  comes  our  milk-cow  over  the  ship's  side,  gen- 


14  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

tly  hoisted  up  by  a  rope.  The  animal  seems  amazed; 
but  she  is  in  skillful  hands.  "  Let  go  1"  calls  out  the 
boatswain,  as  the  cow  swings  in  mid-air;  away  rattles 
the  chain  round  the  wheel  of  the  donkey  engine,  and  the 
break  is  put  on  just  in  time  to  land  Molly  gently  on  the 
deck.  In  a  minute  she  is  snug  in  her  stall  "  f  or'ard," 
just  by  the  cook's  galley. 

Passengers  are  coming  on  board.  Here  is  one  mount- 
ing the  ship's  side,  who  has  had  a  wet  passage  from  the 
shore.  A  seaman  lends  him  a  hand,  and  he  reaches  the 
sloppy,  slippery  deck  with  difficulty. 

It  is  a  dismal  day.  The  sleet  and  rain  come  driving 
down.  Every  thing  is  raw  and  cold;  every  body  wet 
or  damp.  The  passengers  in  wet  mackintoshes,  and  the 
seamen  in  wet  tarpaulins ;  Gravesend,  with  its  dirty  side 
to  the  river,  and  its  dreary  mudbank  exposed  to  sight ; 
the  alternate  drizzle  and  down-pour;  the  muddle  and 
confusion  of  the  deck — all  this  presented  any  thing  but 
an  agreeable  picture  to  look  at.  So  I  speedily  leave  the 
deck,  in  order  to  make  a  better  acquaintance  with  what 
is  to  be  my  home  for  the  next  three  months. 

First,  there  is  the  saloon  —  long  and  narrow — sur- 
rounded by  the  cabins.  It  is  our  dining-room,  drawing- 
room,  and  parlor,  all  in  one.  A  long  table  occupies  the 
centre,  fitted  all  round  with  fixed  seats  and  reversible 
backs.  At  one  end  of  the  table  is  the  captain's  chair, 
over  which  hangs  a  clock  and  a  barometer.  Near  the 
after  end  of  the  saloon  is  the  mizzen  mast,  which  passes 
through  into  the  hold  below,  and  rests  on  the  keelson. 

The  cabins,  which  surround  the  saloon,  are  separated 
from  it  by  open  wood- work,  for  the  purposes  of  ventila- 
tion. The  entrances  to  them  from  the  saloon  are  by 


DOWN  CHANNEL.  15 

sliding  doors.  They  are  separated  from  each  other  by 
folding  doors,  kept  bolted  on  either  side  when  one  cabin 
only  is  occupied;  but  these  can  be  opened  when  the 
neighbors  on  both  sides  are  agreeable. 

My  own  little  cabin  is  by  no  means  dreary  or  uninvit- 
ing. A  window,  with  six  small  panes,  lets  in  light  and 
air ;  and  outside  is  a  strong  board,  or  "  dead-light,"  for 
use  in  rough  weather,  to  protect  the  glass.  My  bunk, 
next  to  the  saloon,  is  covered  with  a  clean  white  coun- 
terpane. A  little  wash-stand  occupies  the  corner;  a 
shelf  of  favorite  books  is  over  my  bed -head,  and  a 
swing-lamp  by  its  side.  Then  there  is  my  little  mirror, 
my  swing-tray  for  bottles,  and  a  series  of  little  bags  sus- 
pended from  nails,  containing  all  sorts  of  odds  and  ends. 
In  short,  my  little  chamber,  so  fitted  up,  looks  quite 
cheerful  and  even  jolly. 

It  grows  dusk,  and  there  is  still  the  same  bustle  and 
turmoil  on  deck.  All  are  busy ;  every  body  is  in  a  hur- 
ry. At  about  nine  the  noise  seems  to  subside,  and  the 
deck  seems  getting  into  something  like  order.  As  we 
are  not  to  weigh  anchor  until  five  in  the  morning,  some 
of  the  passengers  land  for  a  stroll  on  shore.  I  decide  to 
go  to  bed. 

And  now  begins  my  first  difficulty.  I  can  not  find 
room  to  extend  myself,  or  even  to  turn.  I  am  literally 
"  cribbed,  cabined,  and  confined."  Then  there  are  the 
unfamiliar  noises  outside  —  the  cackling  of  the  ducks, 
the  baa-ing  of  the  sheep,  the  grunting  of  the  pigs  — 
possibly  discussing  the  novelty  of  their  position.  And, 
nearly  all  through  the  night,  just  outside  my  cabin,  two 
or  three  of  the  seamen  sit  talking  together  in  gruff  un- 
dertones. 


16  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

I  don't  think  I  slept  much  during  my  first  night  on 
board.  I  was  lying  semi-conscious,  when  a  loud  voice 
outside  woke  me  up  in  an  instant — "  The  anchor's  up ! 
she's  away !"  I  jumped  up,  and,  looking  out  of  my  little 
cabin  window,  peered  out  into  the  gray  dawn.  The 
shores  seemed  moving,  and  we  were  off.  I  dressed  at 
once  and  went  on  deck.  But  how  raw  and  chill  it  felt 
as  I  went  up  the  companion-ladder !  A  little  steam-tug 
ahead  of  us  was  under  weigh,  with  the  "  Yorkshire"  in 
tow.  The  deck  was  now  pretty  well  cleared,  but  white 
with  frost,  while  the  river  banks  were  covered  with 
snow. 

Other  ships  were  passing  down  stream,  each  with  its 
tug;  but  we  soon  distanced  them  all,  especially  when 
the  men  flung  the  sails  to  the  wind,  now  blowing  fresh. 
At  length,  in  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  the  steam- 
er took  on  board  her  tow-rope,  and  left  us  to  proceed  on 
our  voyage  with  a  fair  light  breeze  in  our  favor,  and  all 
our  canvas  set. 

"When  off  the  Nbre,  we  hailed  the  "  Norfolk"  home- 
ward bound — a  fast  clipper  ship  belonging  to  the  same 
firm  (Money  Wigram's  line) — and  a  truly  grand  sight 
she  was  under  full  sail.  ^There  were  great  cheerings 
and  wavings  of  hats — she  passing  up  the  river  and  we 
out  to  sea. 

I  need  not  detain  you  with  a  description  of  my  voy- 
age down  Channel.  We  passed  in  succession  Margate, 
Ramsgate,  and  Deal.  The  wind  kept  favorable  until  we 
sighted  Beachy  Head  about  half  past  five  in  the  evening, 
and  then  it  nearly  died  away.  We  were  off  Brighton 
when  the  moon  rose.  The  long  stretch  of  lights  along 
shore,  the  clear  starlit  sky,  the  bright  moon,  the  ship  gen- 


DOWN  CHANNEL.  1 7 

tly  rocking  in  the  almost  calm  sea,  the  sails  idly  napping 
against  the  masts,  formed  a -picture  of  quiet  during  my 
first  night  at  sea  which  I  shall  not  soon  forget. 

But  all  this,  I  was  told,  was  but  "  weather-breeding ;" 
and  it  was  predicted  that  we  were  to  have  a  change. 
The  glass  was  falling,  and  we  were  to  look  out  for  squalls. 
Nor  were  the  squalls  long  in  coming.  Early  next  morn- 
ing I  was  roused  by  the  noise  on  deck  and  the  rolling  of 
things  about  my  cabin  floor.  I  had  some  difficulty  in 
dressing,  not  having  yet  found  my  sea-legs ;  but  I  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  the  companion-ladder  and  reaching 
the  poop. 

I  found  the  wind  had  gone  quite  round  in  the  night, 
and  was  now  blowing  hard  in  our  teeth  from  the  south- 
west. It  was  to  be  a  case  of  tacking  down  Channel — a 
slow  and,  for  landsmen,  a  very  trying  process.  In  the 
midst  of  my  first  mal  -de  mer,  I  was  amused  by  the  ap- 
pearance on  board  of  one  of  my  fellow-passengers.  He 
was  a  small,  a  very  small  individual,  but  possessed  of  a 
large  stock  of  clothes,  which  he  was  evidently  glad  to 
have  an  opportunity  of  exhibiting.  He  first  came  up 
with  a  souwester  on  his  head,  the  wrong  end  foremost, 
and  a  pair  of  canvas  shoes  on  his  feet — a  sort  of  minia- 
ture Micawber,^  or  first-class  Cockney  "salt"  about  to 
breast  the  briny.  This  small  person's  long  nose,  large 
ears,  and  open  mouth  added  to  the  ludicrousness  of  his 
appearance.  As  the  decks  were  wet  and  the  morning 
cold,  he  found  the  garb  somewhat  unsuitable,  and  dived 
below,  to  come  up  again  in  strong  boots  and  a  straw  hat. 
But,  after  further  consideration,  he  retired  again,  and 
again  he  appeared  in  fresh  head-gear — a  huge  sealskin 
cap  with  lappets  coming  down  over  his  ears.  This  im- 


18  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

portant  and  dressy  little  individual  was  a  source  of  con- 
siderable amusement  to  us;  and  there  was  scarcely  an 
article  in  his  wardrobe  that  had  not  its  turn  during  the 
day. 

All  night  it  blew  a  gale,  the  wind  still  from  the  same 
quarter.  We  kept  tacking  between  the  coast  of  England 
and  the  opposite  coast  of  France,  making  but  small  way 
as  regards  mileage,  the  wind  being  right  in  our  teeth. 
During  the  night,  each  time  that  the  ship  was  brought 
round  on  the  other  tack  there  was  usually  a  tremendous 
lurch,  and  sometimes  an  avalanche  of  books  descended 
upon  me  from  the  shelf  overhead.  Yet  I  slept  pretty 
soundly.  Once  I  was  awakened  by  a  tremendous  noise 
outside — something  like  a  gun  going  off.  I  afterward 
found  it  had  been  occasioned  by  the  mainsail  being  blown 
away  to  sea,  right  out  of  the  bolt-ropes,  the  fastenings  of 
which  were  immediately  outside  my  cabin  window. 

"When  I  went  on  deck  the  wind  was  still  blowing  hard, 
and  one  had  to  hold  on  to  ropes  or  cleats  to  be  able  to 
stand.  The  whole  sea  was  alive,  waves  chasing  waves 
and  bounding  over  each  other,  crested  with  foam.  Now 
and  then  the  ship  would  pitch  her  prow  into  a  wave  even 
to  the  bulwarks,  dash  the  billow  aside,  and  buoyantly  rise 
again,  bowling  along,  though  under  moderate  sail,  be- 
cause of  the  force  of  the  gale. 

The  sea  has  some  sad  sights,  of  which  one  shortly  pre- 
sented itself.  About  midday  the  captain  sighted  a  ves- 
sel at  some  distance  off  on  our  weather  bow,  flying  a  flag 
of  distress — an  ensign  upside  down.  Our  ship  was  put 
about,  and  as  we  neared  the  vessel  we  found  she  had 
been  abandoned,  and  was  settling  fast  in  the  water.  Two 
or  three  of  her  sails  were  still  set,  torn  to  shreds  by  the 


DOWN  CHANNEL.  19 

storm.  The  bulwarks  were  pretty  much  gone,  and  here 
and  there  the  bare  stanchions,  or  posts,  were  left  stand- 
ing, splitting  in  two  the  waves  which  broke  clear  over 
her  deck,  lying  almost  even  with  the  sea.  She  turned 
out  to  be  the  "  Bosa,"  of  Guernsey,  a  fine  barque  of  700 
tons,  and  she  had  been  caught  and  disabled  by  the  storm 
we  had  ourselves  encountered.  As  there  did  not  seem 
to  be  a  living  thing  on  board,  and  we  could  be  of  no  use, 
we  sailed  away ;  and  she  must  have  gone  down  shortly 
after  we  left  her.  Not  far  from  the  sinking  ship  we 
came  across  a  boat  bottom  upward,  most  probably  be- 
longing to  the  abandoned  ship.  What  of  the  poor  sea- 
men ?  Have  they  been  saved  by  other  boats,  or  been 
taken  off  by  some  passing  vessel  ?  If  not,  alas  for  their 
wives  and  children  at  home !  Indeed  it  was  a  sad  sight. 

But  such  things  are  soon  forgotten  at  sea.  We  are 
too  much  occupied  by  our  own  experiences  to  think  much 
of  others.  For  two  more  weary  days  we  went  tacking 
about,  the  wind  somewhat  abating.  Sometimes  we  caught 
sight  of  the  French  coast  through  the  mist,  and  then  we 
tacked  back  again.  At  length  Eddystone  Light  came  in 
view,  and  we  knew  we  were  not  far  from  the  entrance  to 
Plymouth  Sound.  Once  inside  the  Breakwater,  we  felt 
ourselves  in  smooth  water  again. 

Going  upon  deck  in  the  morning,  I  found  our  ship  an- 
chored in  the  harbor,  nearly  opposite  Mount  Edgecumbe. 
Nothing  could  be  more  lovely  than  the  sight  that  pre- 
sented itself.  The  noble  bay,  surrounded  by  rocks,  cliffs, 
cottages — Drake's  Island,  bristling  with  cannon,  leaving 
open  a  glimpse  into  the  Hamoaze  studded  with  great 
hulks  of  old  war-ships — the  projecting  points  of  Mount 
Edgecumbe  Park,  carpeted  with  green  turf  down  to  the 


20  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

water,  and  fringed  behind  by  noble  woods,  looking  like 
masses  of  emerald  cut  into  fret- work — then,  in  the  dis- 
tance, the  hills  of  Dartmoor,  variegated  with  many  .hues, 
and  swept  with  alternations  of  light  and  shade — all  these 
presented  a  picture  the  like  of  which  I  had  never  before 
seen,  and  feel  myself  quite  incompetent  to  describe. 

As  we  had  to  wait  here  for  a  fair  wind,  and  the  gale 
was  still  blowing  right  into  the  harbor's  mouth,  there 
seemed  no  probability  of  our  setting  sail  very  soon.  We 
had,  moreover,  to  make  up  our  complement  of  passen- 
gers and  provisions.  Those  who  had  a  mind  according- 
ly went  on  shore,  strolled  through  the  town,  and  visited 
the  Hoe,  from  which  a  magnificent  view  of  the  harbor  is 
obtained,  or  varied  their  bill  of  fare  by  dining  at  a  hotel. 

We  were,  however,  cautioned  not  to  sleep  on  shore, 
but  to  return  to  the  ship  for  the  night,  and  even  during 
the  day  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  wind ;  for,  im- 
mediately on  a  change  to  the  nor'ard,  no  time  would  be 
lost  in  putting  out  to  sea.  We  were  farther  informed 
that,  in  the  case  of  nearly  every  ship,  passengers,  through 
their  own  carelessness  and  dilly-dallying  on  shore,  had 
been  left  behind.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  stick  to 
the  ship. 

After  three  days'  weary  waiting,  the  wind  at  last  went 
round ;  the  anchor  was  weighed  with  a  willing  "  Yo ! 
heave  ho !"  and  in  a  few  hours,  favored  by  a  fine  light 
breeze,  we  were  well  out  to  sea,  and  the  brown  cliffs  of 
Old  England  gradually  faded  away  in  the  distance. 


FLYING  SOUTH.  21 


CHAPTEE  II. 

FLYING    SOUTH. 

My  Fellow-passengers. — Life  on  board  Ship. — Progress  of  the  Ship. — 
Her  Handling. — A  fine  Run  down  by  the  Line. — Passing  Ships. — 
Amusements. — Climbing  the  Mizzen. — The  Cape  de  Verd  Islands. — 
San  Antonio. 

3d  March. — Like  all  passengers,  I  suppose,  who  come 
together  on  board  ship  for  a  long  voyage,  we  had  scarce- 
ly passed  the  Eddystone  Lighthouse  before  we  began  to 
take  stock  of  each  other.  Who  is  this?  What  is  he? 
Why  is  he  going  out  ?  Such  were  the  questions  we  in- 
wardly put  to  ourselves  and  sought  to  answer. 

I  found  several,  like  myself,  were  making  the  voyage 
for  their  health.  A  long  voyage  by  sailing  ship  seems 
to  have  become  a  favorite  prescription  for  lung  com- 
plaints, and  it  is  doubtless  an  honest  one,  as  the  doctor 
who  gives  it  at  the  same  time  parts  with  his  patient  and 
his  fees.  But  the  advice  is  sound,  as  the  long  rest  of 
the  voyage,  the  comparatively  equable  temperature  of 
the  sea  air,  and  probably  the  improved  quality  of  the  at- 
mosphere inhaled,  are  all  favorable  to  the  healthy  condi- 
tion of  the  lungs  as  well  as  of  the  general  system. 

Of  those  going  out  in  search  of  health,  some  were 
young  and  others  middle-aged.  Among  the  latter  was 
a  patient,  gentle  sufferer,  racked  by  a  hacking  cough 
when  he  came  on  board.  Another,  a  young  passenger, 
had  been  afflicted  by  abscess  in  his  throat  and  incipient 


22  MOUND  THE  WOMLD. 

lung  disease.  A  third  had  been  worried  by  business  and 
afflicted  in  his  brain,  and  needed  a  long  rest.  A  fourth 
had  been  crossed  in  love,  and  sought  for  change  of  scene 
and  occupation. 

But  there  were  others  full  of  life  and  health  among 
the  passengers,  going  out  in  search  of  fortune  or  of 
pleasure.  Two  stalwart,  outspoken,  manly  fellows,  who 
came  on  board  at  Plymouth,  were  on  their  way  to  New 
Zealand  to  farm  a  large  tract  of  land.  They  seemed  to 
me  to  be  models  of  what  colonial  farmers  should  be. 
Another  was  on  his  way  to  take  up  a  run  in  Victoria, 
some  250  miles  north  of  Melbourne.  He  had  three  fine 
Scotch  colley  dogs  with  him,  which  were  the  subject  of 
general  admiration. 

We  had  also  a  young  volunteer  on  board,  who  had  fig- 
ured at  Brighton  reviews,  and  was  now  on  his  way  to 
join  his  father  in  New  Zealand,  where  he  proposed  to 
join  the  colonial  army.  We  had  also  a  Yankee  gentle- 
man, about  to  enter  on  his  governorship  of  the  Guano 
Island  of  Maldon,  in  the  Pacific,  situated  almost  due 
north  of  the  Society  Islands,  said  to  have  been  purchased 
by  an  English  company. 

Some  were  going  out  "  on  spec."  If  they  could  find 
an  opening  to  fortune,  they  would  settle;  if  not,  they 
would  return.  One  gentleman  was  taking  with  him  a 
fine  portable  photographic  apparatus,  intending  to  visit 
New  Zealand  and  Tasmania  as  well  as  Australia. 

Others  were  going  out  for  indefinite  purposes.  The 
small  gentleman,  for  instance,  who  came  on  board  at 
Gravesend  with  the  extensive  wardrobe,  was  said  to  be 
going  out  to  Australia  to  grow — the  atmosphere  and  cli- 
mate of  the  country  being  reported  as  having  a  wonder- 


FLYING  SOUTH.  23 

ful  effect  on  growth.  Another  entertained  me  with  a 
long  account  of  how  he  was  leaving  England  because  of 
his  wife ;  but,  as  he  was  of  a  somewhat  priggish  nature, 
I  suspect  the  fault  may  have  been  his  own  as  much  as 
hers. 

And  then  there  was  the  Major,  a  military  and  distin- 
guished-looking gentleman,  who  came  on  board,  accom- 
panied by  a  couple  of  shiny  new  trunks,  at  Plymouth. 
He  himself  threw  out  the  suggestion  that  the  raising  of 
a  colonial  volunteer  army  was  the  grand  object  of  his 
mission.  Anyhow,  he  had  the  manners  of  a  gentleman ; 
and  he  had  seen  service,  having  lost  his  right  arm  in  the 
Crimea,  and  gone  all  through  the  Indian  Mutiny  War 
with  his  left.  He  was  full  of  fun,  always  in  spirits,  and 
a  very  jolly  fellow,  though  rather  given  to  saying  things 
that  would  have  been  better  left  unsaid. 

Altogether,  we  had  seventeen  saloon  passengers  on 
board,  including  the  captain's  wife,  the  only  lady  at  the 
poop  end.  There  were  also  probably  about  eighty  sec- 
ond and  third  class  passengers  in  the  forward  parts  of 
the  ship. 

Although  the  wind  was  fair  and  the  weather  fine,  most 
of  the  passengers  suffered  more  or  less  from  sea-sickness ; 
but  at  length,  becoming  accustomed  to  the  motion  of  the 
ship,  they  gradually  emerged  from  their  cabins,  came  on 
deck,  and  took  part  in  the  daily  life  on  board.  Let  me 
try  and  give  a  slight  idea  of  what  this  is. 

At  about  six  every  morning  we  are  roused  by  the  sail- 
ors holystoning  the  decks,  under  the  superintendence  of 
the  officer  of  the  watch.  A  couple  of  middies  pump  up 
water  from  the  sea  by  means  of  a  pump  placed  just  be- 
hind the  wheel.  It  fills  the  tub  until  it  overflows,  run- 


24  MOUND  THE  WOMLD. 

ning  along  the  scuppers  of  the  poop,  and  out  on  to  the 
main  deck  through  a  pipe.  Here  the  seamen  fill  their 
buckets,  and  proceed  with  the  scouring  of  the  main 
deck.  Such  a  scrubbing  and  mopping ! 

I  need  scarcely  explain  that  holystone  is  a  large  soft 
stone,  used  with  water,  for  scrubbing  the  dirt  off  the 
ship's  decks.  It  rubs  down  with  sand ;  the  sand  is  washed 
off  by  buckets  of  water  thrown  down,  all  is  well  mopped, 
and  the  deck  is  then  finished  off  with  India-rubber  squil- 
gees. 

The  poop  is  always  kept  most  bright  and  clean.  Soon 
after  we  left  port  it  assumed  a  greatly-improved  appear- 
ance. The  boards  began  to  whiten  with  the  holystoning. 
Not  a  grease-mark  or  spot  of  dirt  was  to  be  seen.  All 
was  polished  off  with  hand-scrapers.  On  Sundays,  the 
ropes  on  the  poop  were  all  neatly  coiled,  man-of-war 
fashion — not  a  bight  out  of  place.  The  brass-work  was 
kept  as  bright  as  a  gilt  button. 

By  the  time  the  passengers  dressed  and  went  on  deck, 
the  cleaning  process  was  over,  and  the  decks  were  dry. 
After  half  an  hour's  pacing  the  poop,  the  bell  would  ring 
for  breakfast,  the  appetite  for  which  would  depend  very 
much  upon  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  lurching  of 
the  ship.  Between  breakfast  and  lunch,  more  prome- 
nading on  the  poop;  the  passengers  sometimes,  if  the 
weather  was  fine,  forming  themselves  in  groups  on  deck, 
cultivating  each  other's  acquaintance. 

During  our  first  days  at  sea  we  had  some  difficulty  in 
finding  bur  sea-legs.  The  march  of  some  up  and  down 
the  poop  was  often  very  irregular,  and  occasionally  end- 
ed in  disaster.  Yet  the  passengers  were  not  the  only 
learners ;  for  one  day  we  saw  one  of  the  cabin-boys,  car- 


FLYING  SOUTH. 


25 


rying  a  heavy  ham  down  the  steps  from  a  meat-safe  on 
board,  miss  his  footing  in  a  lurch  of  the  ship,  and  away 
went  our  fine  ham  into  the  lee  scuppers,  spoiled  and  lost. 

We  lunched  at  twelve.  From  thence,  until  dinner  at 
five,  we  mooned  about  on  deck  as  before,  or  visited  sick 
passengers,  or  read  in  our  respective  cabins,  or  passed 
the  time  in  conversation,  and  thus  the  day  wore  on. 
After  dinner  the  passengers  drew  together  in  parties  and 
became  social.  In  the  pleasantly-lit  saloon,  some  of  the 
elders  subsided  into  whist,  while  the  juniors  sought  the 
middies  in  their  cabin  on  the  main  deck,  next  door  to 
the  sheep-pen;  there  they  entertained  themselves  and 
each  other  with  songs,  accompanied  by  the  concertina 
and  clouds  of  tobacco-smoke. 

The  progress  of  the  ship  was  a  subject  of  constant  in- 
terest. It  was  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  and  the  last 
at  night ;  and  all  through  the  day,  the  direction  of  the 
wind,  the  state  of  the  sky  and  the  weather,  and  the  rate 
we  \\:ere  going  at,  were  the  uppermost  topics  of  conver- 
sation. 

When  we  left  port  the  wind  was  blowing  fresh  on  our 
larboard  quarter  from  the  northeast,  and  we  made  good 
progress  across  the  Bay  of  Biscay ;  but,  like  many  of  our 
passengers,  I  was  too  much  occupied  by  private  affairs  to 
attend  to  the  nautical  business  going  on  upon  deck.  All 
I  know  was  that  the  "wind  was  fair,  and  that  we  were  go- 
ing at  a  good  rate.  On  the  fourth  day  I  found  that  we 
were  in  the  latitude  of  Cape  Finisterre,  and  that  we  had 
run  168  miles  in  the  preceding  twenty-four  hours.  From 
this  time  forward,  having  got  accustomed  to  the  motion 
of  the  ship,  I  felt  sufficiently  well  to  be  on  deck  early 
and  late,  watching  the  handling  of  the  ship. 

B 


26  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

It  was  a  fine  sight  to  look  up  at  the  cloud  of  canvas 
above,  bellied  out  by  the  wind,  like  the  wings  of  a  gi- 
gantic bird,  while  the  ship  bounded  through  the  water, 
dashing  it  in  foam  from  her  bows,  and  sometimes  dip- 
ping her  prow  into  the  waves,  and  sending  aloft  a  show- 
er of  spray. 

There  was  always  something  new  to  admire  in  the 
ship,  and  the  way  in  which  she  was  handled ;  as,  for  in- 
stance, to  see  the  topgallant  sails  hauled  down  when  the 
wind  freshened,  or  a  staysail  set  as  the  wind  went  round 
to  the  east.  The  taking  in  of  the  mainsail  on  a  stormy 
night  was  a  thing  to  be  remembered  for  life;  twenty- 
four  men  on  the  great  yard  at  a  time,  clewing  it  in  to 
the  music  of  the  wind  whistling  through  the  rigging. 
The  men  sing  out  cheerily  at  their  work,  the  one  who 
mounts  the  highest,  or  stands  the  foremost  on  the  deck, 
usually  taking  the  lead — 

Hawl  on  the  bowlin, 

The  jolly  ship's  a-rollin ; 
Hawl  on  the  bowlin, 

And  we'll  all  drink  rum. 

In  comes  the  rope  with  a  "  Yo,  heave  ho !"  and  a  jerk, 
until  the  "  belay"  sung  out  by  the  mate  signifies  that  the 
work  is  done.  Then  there  is  the  scrambling  on  the  deck 
when  the  wind  changes  quarter,  and  the  yards  want 
squaring  as  the  wind  blows  more  aft.  Such  are  among 
the  interesting  sights  to  be  seen  on  deck  when  the  wind 
is  in  her  tantrums  at  sea. 

On  the  fifth  day  the  wind  was  blowing  quite  aft.  Our 
run  during  the  twenty-four  hours  was  172  miles.  Ther- 
mometer 58°.  The  captain  is  in  hopes  of  a  most  favor- 
able run  to  the  Cape.  It  is  our  first  Sunday  on  board, 


FLYING  SOUTH.  27 

and  at  10  30  the  bell  rings  for  service,  when  the  passen- 
gers of  all  classes  assemble  in  the  saloon.  The  alternate 
standing  and  kneeling  during  the  service  is  rather  un- 
comfortable, the  fixed  seats  jamming  the  legs,  and  the 
body  leaning  over  at  an  unpleasant  angle  when  the  ship 
rolls,  which  she  frequently  does,  and  rather  savagely. 

Going  upon  deck  next  morning,  I  found  the  wind 
blowing  strong  from  the  north,  and  the  ship  going 
through  the  water  at  a  splendid  pace.  As  much  sail 
was  on  as  she  could  carry,  and  she  dashed  along,  leav- 
ing a  broad  track  of  foam  in  her  wake.  The  captain  is 
in  high  glee  at  the  speed  at  which  we  are  going.  "A 
fine  run  down  to  the  Line!"  he  says,  as  he  walks  the 
poop,  smiling  and  rubbing  his  hands,  while  the  middies 
are  enthusiastic  in  praises  of  the  good  ship, "  walking  the 
waters  like  a  thing  of  life."  The  spirits  of  all  on  board 
are  raised  by  several  degrees.  We  have  the  pleasure  of 
feeling  ourselves  bounding  forward,  on  toward  the  sunny 
South.  There  is  no  resting,  but  a  constant  pressing  on- 
ward, and,  as  we  look  over  the  bulwarks,  the  waves,  tip- 
ped by  the  foam  which  the  ship  has  raised,  seem  to  fly 
behind  us  at  a  prodigious  speed.  At  midday  we  find 
the  ship's  run  during  the  twenty-four  hours  has  been  280 
miles — a  splendid  day's  work,  almost  equal  to  steam ! 

"We  are  now  in  latitude  39°  16',  about  due  east  of  the 
Azores.  The  air  is  mild  and  warm;  the  sky  is  azure, 
and  the  sea  intensely  blue.  How  different  from  the 
weather  in  the  English  Channel  only  a  short  week  ago! 
Bugs  are  now  discarded,  and  winter  clothing  begins  to 
feel  almost  oppressive.  In  the  evenings,  as  we  hang 
over  the  taffrail,  we  watch  with  interest  the  bluish-white 
sparks  mingling  with  the  light  blue  foam  near  the  stern 


28  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

— the  first  indications  of  that  phosphorescence  which,  I 
am  told,  we  shall  find  so  bright  in  the  tropics. 

An  always  interesting  event  at  sea  is  the  sighting  of  a 
distant  ship.  To-day  we  signaled  the  "  Maitland,"  of 
London,  a  fine  ship,  though  she  was  rolling  a  great  deal, 
beating  up  against  the  wind  that  was  impelling  us  so 
prosperously  forward.  I  hope  she  will  report  us  on  ar- 
rival, to  let  friends  at  home  know  we  are  so  far  all  right 
on  our  voyage. 

The  wind  still  continues  to  blow  in  our  wake,  but  not 
so  strongly ;  yet  we  make  good  progress.  The  weather 
keeps  very  fine.  The  sky  seems  to  get  clearer,  the  sea 
bluer,  and  the  weather  more  brilliant,  and  even  the  sails 
look  whiter,  as  we  fly  south.  About  midday  on  the 
eighth  day  after  leaving  Plymouth  we  are  in  the  latitude 
of  Madeira,  which  we  pass  about  forty  miles  distant. 

As  the  wind  subsides,  and  the  novelty  of  being  on 
shipboard  wears  off,  the  passengers  begin  to  think  of 
amusements.  One  can  not  be  always  reading;  and  as 
for  study,  though  I  try  Spanish  and  French  alternately, 
I  can  not  settle  to  them,  and  begin  to  think  that  life  on 
shipboard  is  not  very  favorable  for  study.  We  play  at 
qnoits — using  quoits  of  rope — on  the  poop,  for  a  good 
part  of  the  day ;  but  this  soon  becomes  monotonous,  and 
we  begin  to  consider  whether  it  may  not  be  possible  to 
get  up  some  entertainment  on  board  to  make  the  time 
pass  pleasantly.  "We  had  a  few  extempore  concerts  in 
one  of  the  middle's  berths.  The  third-class  passengers 
got  up  a  miscellaneous  entertainment,  including  recitals, 
which  went  off  very  well.  One  of  the  tragic -recitations 
was  so  well  received  that  it  was  encored.  And  thus  the 
time  was  whiled  away,  while  we  still  kept  flying  south. 


FLYING  SOUTH.  29 

On  the  ninth  day  we  are  well  south  of  Madeira.  The 
sun  is  so  warm  at  midday  that  an  awning  is  hung  over 
the  deck,  and  the  shade  it  affords  is  very  grateful.  We 
are  now  in  the  trade  winds,  which  blow  pretty  steadily 
at  this  part  of  our  course  in  a  southwesterly  direction, 
and  may  generally  be  depended  upon  until  we  near  the 
equator.  At  midday  of  the  tenth  day  I  find  we  have 
run  180  miles  in  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  with  the 
wind  still  steady  on  our  quarter.  We  have  passed  Tene- 
riffe,  about  130  miles  distant  —  too  remote  to  see  it, 
though  I  am  told  that,  had  we  been  twenty  miles  nearer, 
we  should  probably  have  seen  the  famous  peak. 

To  while  away  the  time,  and  by  way  of  a  little  adven- 
ture, I  determined  at  night  to  climb  the  mizzen  mast  with 
a  fellow-passenger.  While  leaving  the  deck  I  was  chalk- 
ed by  a  middy,  in  token  that  I  was  in  for  my  footing,  so 
as  to  be  free  of  the  mizzen-top.  I  succeeded  in  reaching 
it  safely,  though,  to  a  green  hand  as  I  was,  it  looks  and 
really  feels  somewhat  perilous  at  first.  I  was  sensible  of 
the  feeling  of  fear  or  apprehension  just  at  the  moment 
of  getting  over  the  cross-trees.  Your  body  hangs  over 
in  mid-air  at  a  terrible  incline  backward,  and  you  have 
to  hold  on  like  any  thing  for  just  one  moment,  until  you 
get  your  knee  up  into  the  top.  The  view  of  the  ship  un- 
der press  of  canvas  from  the  mizzen-top  is  very  grand, 
and  the  phosphorescence  in  our  wake,  billow  upon  billow 
of  light  shining  foam,  seemed  more  brilliant  than  ever. 

The  wind  again  freshens,  and  on  the  eleventh  day  we 
make  another  fine  run  of  230  miles.  It  is  becoming 
rapidly  warmer,  and  we  shall  soon  be  in  the  region  of 
bonitos,  albatrosses,  and  flying  fish — only  a  fortnight 
after  leaving  England ! 

Our  second  Sunday  at  sea  was  beautiful  exceedingly. 


30  RO  UND  ,THE  WORLD. 

We  had  service  in  the  saloon  as  usual,  and  after  church 
I  climbed  the  mizzen,  and  had  half  an  hour's  nap  on  the 
top.  Truly  this  warm  weather  and  monotonous  sea  life 
seems  very  favorable  for  dreaming,  and  mooning,  and 
loafing.  In  the  evening  there  was  some  very  good  hymn- 
singing  in  the  second-class  cabin. 

Early  next  morning,  when  pacing  the  poop,  we  were 
startled  by  the  cry  from  a  man  on  the  forecastle  of 
"  Land  ho !"  I  found,  by  the  direction  of  the  captain's 
eyes,  that  the  land  seen  lay  off  our  weather-beam.  But, 
though  I  strained  my -eyes  looking  for  the  land,  I  could 
see  nothing.  It  was  not  for  hours  that  I  could  detect  it, 
and  then  it  looked  more  like  a  cloud  than  any  thing  else. 
At  length  the  veil  lifted,  and  I  saw  the  land  stretching 
away  to  the  eastward.  It  was  the  island  of  San  Antonio, 
one  of  the  Cape  de  Yerds. 

As  we  neared  the  land,  and  saw  it  more  distinctly,  it 
looked  a  grand  object.  Though  we  were  then  some  fif- 
teen miles  off,  yet  the  highest  peaks,  which  wrere  above 
the  clouds,  some  thousands  of  feet  high,  were  so  clear 
and  so  beautiful  that  they  looked  as  if  they  had  been 
stolen  out  of  the  "  Arabian  Nights,"  or  some  fairy  tale  of 
wonder  and  beauty. 

The  island  is  said  to  be  alike  famous  for  its  oranges 
and  pretty  girls.  Indeed  the  Major,  who  is  very  good 
at  drawing  the  long  bow,  declared  that  he  could  see  a 
very  interesting  female  waving  her  hand  to  him  from  a 
rock !  With  the  help  of  the  telescope  we  could  certain- 
ly see  some  of  th$  houses  on  shore. 

As  this  is  the  last  land  we  are  likely  to  see  until  we 
reach  Australia,  we  regard  it  with  all  the  greater  interest, 
and  I  myself  watched  it  in  the  twilight  until  it  faded 
away  into  a  blue  mist  on  the  horizon. 


WITHIN  TEE  TROPICS.  31 


CHAPTEE  III. 

WITHIN    THE    TKOPICS. 

Increase  of  Temperature. — Flying  Fish. — The  Morning  Bath  on  board. 
— Paying  my  "Footing." — The  Major's  wonderful  Story  "capped." — 
St.  Patrick's  Day.— Grampuses.— A  Ship  in  Sight.— The  "Lord  Rag- 
lan."—  Rainfall  in  the  Tropics. — Tropical  Sunsets. — The  Yankee 
Whaler. 

Vlih  March. — We  are  now  fairly  within  the  tropics. 
The  heat  increases  day  by  day.  This  morning,  at  eight, 
the  temperature  was  87°  in  my  cabin.  At  midday,  with 
the  sun  nearly  overhead,  it  is  really  hot.  The  sky  is  of 
a  cloudless  azure,  with  a  hazy  appearance  toward  the  ho- 
rizon. The  sea  is  blue — dark,  deep  blue — and  calm. 

Now  we  see  plenty  of  flying  fish.  Whole  shoals  of  the 
glittering  little  things  glide  along  in  the  air,  skimming 
the  tops  of  the  waves.  They  rise  to  escape  their  pursu- 
ers, the  bonitos,  which  rush  after  them,  showing  their 
noses  above  the  water  now  and  then.  But  the  poor  fly- 
ing fish  have  their  enemies  above  the  waters  as  well  as 
under  them,  for  they  no  sooner  rise  than  they  risk  be- 
coming the  prey  of  the  ocean  birds  which  are  always 
hovering  about  and  ready  to  pounce  upon  them.  It  is 
a  case  of  "  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire."  They  fly 
farther  than  I  thought  they  could.  I  saw  one  of  them 
to-day  fly  at  least  sixty  yards,  and  sometimes  they  mount 
so  high  as  to  reach  the  poop,  some  fifteen  feet  from  the 
surface  of  the  water. 


32  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

One  of  the  most  pleasant  events  of  the  day  is  the 
morning  bath  on  board.  You  must  remember  the  lati- 
tude we  are  in.  We  are  passing  along,  though  not  in 
sight  of,  that  part  of  the  African  coast  where  a  necklace 
is  considered  full  dress.  We  sympathize  with  the  na- 
tives, for  we  find  clothes  becoming  intolerable ;  hence 
our  enjoyment  of  the  morning  bath,  which  consists  in 
getting  into  a  large  tub  on  board,  and  being  pumped 
upon  by  the  hose.  Pity  that  one  can  not  have  it  later, 
as  it  leaves  such  a  long  interval  between  bath  and  break- 
fast ;  but  it  freshens  one  up  wonderfully,  and  is  an  ex- 
tremely pleasant  operation.  I  only  wish  that  the  tub 
were  twenty  times  as  large,  and  the  hose  twice  as  strong. 

The  wind  continues  in  our  favor,  though  gradually 
subsiding.  During  the  last  two  days  we  have  run  over 
200  miles  each  day,  but  the  captain  says  that  by  the  time 
we  reach  the  Line  the  wind  will  have  completely  died 
away.  To  catch  a  little  of  the  breeze,  I  go  up  the  rig- 
ging to  the  top.  Two  sailors  came  up  mysteriously,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  ratlines.  They  are  terrible  fellows 
for  making  one  pay  "  footings,"  and  their  object  was  to 
intercept  my  retreat  downward.  When  they  reached  me 
I  tried  to  resist,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  I  must  be  tied  to 
the  rigging  unless  I  promised  the  customary  bottle  of 
rum  ;  so  I  gave  in  with  a  good  grace,  and  was  thencefor- 
ward free  to  take  an  airing  aloft. 

The  amusements  on  deck  do  not  vary  much.  Quoits, 
cards,  reading,  and  talking,  and  sometimes  a  game  of 
romps,  such  as  "  Walk,  my  lady,  walk !"  We  have  tried 
to  form  a  committee,  with  a  view  to  getting  up  some 
Penny  Eeading  or  theatrical  entertainment,  and  to  ascer- 
tain whether  there  be  any  latent  talent  aboard,  but  the 


WITHIN  THE  TROPIC 8.  33 

heat  occasions  such  a  languor  as  to  be  very  unfavorable 
for  work,  and  the  committee  lay  upon  their  oars,  doing 
nothing. 

One  of  our  principal  sources  of  amusement  is  the  Ma- 
jor. He  is  unfailing.  His  drawings  of  the  long  bow 
are  as  good  as  a  theatrical  entertainment.  If  any  one 
tells  a  story  of  something  wonderful,  he  at  once  "  caps 
it,"  as  they  say  in  Yorkshire,  by  something  still  more 
wonderful.  One  of  the  passengers  who  had  been  at  Cal- 
cutta, speaking  of  the  heat  there,  said  it  was  so  great  as  to 
make  the  pitch  run  out  of  the  ship's  sides.  "  Bah !"  said 
the  Major, "  that  is  nothing  to  what  it  is  in  Ceylon  ;  there 
the  heat  is  so  great  as  to  melt  the  soldiers'  buttons  off  on 
parade,  and  then  their  jackets  all  get  loose." 

It  seems  that  to-day  (the  17th)  is  St.  Patrick's  Day. 
This  the  Major,  who  is  an  Irishman,  discovered  only  late 
in  the  evening,  when  he 'declared  he  would  have. "given 
a  fiver"  if  he  had  only  known  it  in  the  morning.  But, 
to  make  up  for  lost  time,  he  called  out  forthwith, "  Stew- 
ard !  whisky !"  and  he  disposed  of  some  seven  or  eight 
glasses  in  the  saloon  before  the  lamps  were  put  out,  after 
which  he  adjourned  to  one  of  the  cabins,  and  there  con- 
tinued the  celebration  of  St.  Patrick's  Day  until  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  On  getting  up  rather  late, 
he  said  to  himself,  loud  enough  for  me  to  overhear  in  my 
cabin,  "Well,  George,  my  boy,  you've  done  your  duty  to 
St.  Patrick,  but  he's  left  you  a  horrible  bad  headache  !" 
And  no  wonder. 

,  At  last  there  is  a  promised  novelty  on  board.  Some 
original  Christy's  Minstrels  are  in  rehearsal,  and  the  the- 
atrical committee  are  looking  up  amateurs  for  a  farce. 
Readings  from  Dickens  are  also  spoken  of.  An  occa- 

B2 


34  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

sional  whale  is  seen  blowing  in  the  distance,  and  many 
grampuses  come  rolling  about  the  ship — most  inelegant 
brutes,  some  three  or  four  times  the  size  of  a  porpoise. 
Each  in  turn  comes  up,  throws  himself  round  on  the  top 
of  the  sea,  exposing  nearly  half  his  body,  and  then  rolls 
off  again. 

To-day  (the  20th  of  March)  we  caught  our  first  fish 
from  the  forecastle  —  a  bonito,  weighing  about  seven 
pounds.  Its  color  was  beautifully  variegated:  on  the 
back  dark  blue,  with  a  streak  of  light  blue  silver  on  either 
side,  and  the  belly  silvery  white.  These  fish  are  usual- 
ly caught  from  the  jibboom  and  the  martingale,  as  they 
play  about  the  bows  of  the  ship.  The  only  bait  is  a  piece 
of  white  rag,  which  is  bobbed  upon  the  surface  of  the 
water  to  imitate  a  flying  fish. 

But  what  interests  us  more  than  any  thing  else  at  pres- 
ent is  tjie  discovery  of  some  homeward-bound  ship,  by 
which  to  dispatch  our  letters  to  friends  at  home.  The 
captain  tells  us  that  we  are  now  almost  directly  in  the 
track  of  vessels  making  for  England  from  the  south,  and 
that,  if  we  do  not  sight  one  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two, 
we  may  not  liave  the  chance  of  seeing  another  until  we 
are  far  on  our  way  south — if  at  all.  We  are,  therefore, 
anxiously  waiting  for  the -signal  of  a  ship  in  sight;  and, 
in  the  hope  that  one  may  appear,  we  are  all  busily  en- 
gaged in  the  saloon  giving  the  finishing  touches  to  our 
home  letters. 

Shortly  after  lunch  the  word  was  given  that  no  less 
than  three  ships  were  in  sight.  Immense  excitement  on 
board!  Every  body  turned  up  on  deck.  Passengers 
who  had  never  been  seen  since  leaving  Plymouth  now 
made  their  appearance  to  look  out  for  the  ships.  One 


WITHIN  THE  TROPICS.  35 

of  them  was  a  steamer,  recognizable  by  the  line  of  smoke 
on  the  horizon,  supposed  to  be  the  West  India  mail-boat ; 
another  was  outward-bound,  like  ourselves ;  and  the  third 
was  the  hoineward-bound  ship  for  which  we  were  all  on 
the  lookout.  She  lay  right  across  our  bows,  but  was  still 
a  long  way  off.  As  we  neared  her,  betting  began  among 
the  passengers,  led  by  the  Major,  as  to  whether  she  would 
take  letters  or  not.  The  scene  became  quite  exciting. 
The  captain  ordered  all  who  had  letters  to  be  in  readi- 
npss.  I  had  been  scribbling  my  very  hardest  ever  since 
the  ships  came  in  sight,  and  now  I  closed  my  letter  and 
sealed  it  up.  Would  the  ship  take  our  letters  ?  Yes. 
She  is  an  English  ship,  with  an  English  flag  at  her  peak ; 
and  she  signals  for  newspapers,  preserved  milk,  soap,  and 
a  doctor ! 

I  petitioned  for  leave  to  accompany  the  doctor,  and,  to 
my  great  delight,  was  allowed  to  do  so.  The  wind  had 
nearly  gone  quite  down,  and  only  came  in  occasional 
slight  gusts.  The  sea  was,  therefore,  comparatively  calm, 
with  only  a  long,  slow  swell ;  yet,  even  though  calm, 
there  is  some  little  difficulty  in  getting  down  into  a  boat 
in  mid-ocean.  At  one  moment  the  boat  is  close  under 
you,  and  at  the  next  she  is  some  four  yards  down,  and 
many  feet  apart  from  the  side  of  the  ship ;  you  have, 
therefore,  to  be  prompt  in  seizing  an  opportunity,  and 
springing  on  board  just  at  the  right  moment. 

As  we  moved  away  from  the  "  Yorkshire"  with  a  good 
bundle  of  newspapers  and  the  other  articles  signaled  for, 
and  looked  back  upon  our  ship,  she  really  looked  a  grand 
object  on  the  waters.  The  sun  shone  full  upon  her  ma- 
jestic hull,  her  bright  copper  now  and  then  showing  as 
she  slowly  rose  and  sank  on  the  long  swell.  Above  all 


36  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

were  her  towers  of  white  canvas,  standing  out  in  relief 
against  the  leaden-colored  sky.  Altogether,  I  don't  think 
I  have  ever  seen  a  more  magnificent  sight.  As  we  part- 
ed from  the  ship,  the  hundred  or  more  people  on  board 
gave  us  a  ringing  cheer. 

Our  men  now  pulled  with  a  will  toward  the  still-dis- 
tant ship.  As  we  neared  her,  we  observed  that  she  must 
have  encountered  very  heavy  weather,  as  part  of  her 
foremast  and  mainmast  had  been  carried  away.  Her 
sides  looked  dirty  and  worn,  and  all  her  iron- work  was 
rusty,  as  if  she  had  been  a  long  time  at  sea.  She  proved 
to  be  the  "  Lord  Raglan,"  of  about  800  tons,  bound  from 
Bankok,  in  Siam,  to  Yarmouth. 

The  captain  was  delighted  to  see  us,  and  gave  us  a 
most  cordial  welcome.  He  was  really  a  very  nice  fellow, 
and  was  kindness  itself.  He  took  us  down  to  his  cabin, 
and  treated  us  to  Chinese  beer  and  segars.  The  place 
was  cheerful  and  comfortable  looking,  and  fitted  up  with 
Indian  and  Chinese  curiosities,  yet  I  could  scarcely  recon- 
cile myself  to  living  there.  There  was  a  dreadful  fusty 
smell  about,  which,  I  am  told,  is  peculiar  to  Indian  and 
Chinese  ships.  The  vessel  was  laden  with  rice,  and  the 
fusty  heat  which  came  up  from  below  was  something 
awful. 

The  "  Lord  Raglan"  had  been  nearly  two  years  from 
London.  She  had  run  from  London  to  Hong  Kong,  and 
had  since  been  engaged  in  trading  between  there  and 
Siam.  She  was  now  eighty-three  days  from  Bankok. 
In  this  voyage  she  had  encountered  some  very  heavy 
weather,  in  which  she  had  sprung  her  foremast,  which 
was  now  spliced  up  all  round.  What  struck  me  was  the 
lightness  of  her  spars  and  the  smallness  of  her  sails  com- 


WITHIN  THE  TROPICS.  37 

pared  with  ours.  Although  her  mainmast  is  as  tall,  it  is 
not  so  thick  as  our  mizzen,  and  her  spars  are  very  slen- 
der above  the  first  top.  Yet  the  "Raglan,"  in  her  best 
days,  used  to  be  one  of  the  crack  Melbourne  clipper  ships. 

The  kindly-natured  captain  was  most  loth  to  let  us  go. 
It  was  almost  distressing  to  see  the  expedients  he  adopt- 
ed to  keep  us  with  him  for  a  few  minutes  longer.  But 
it  was  fast  growing  dusk,  and  in  the  tropics  it  darkens 
almost  suddenly ;  so  we  were  at  last  obliged  to  tear  our- 
selves away,  and  leave  him  with  his  soap,  milk,  and  news- 
papers. He,  on  his  part,  sent  by  us  a  twenty-pound  chest 
of  tea  as  a  present  for  the  chief  mate  (who  was  with  us) 
and  the  captain.  As  we  left  the  ship's  side  we  gave  the 
master  and  crew  of  the  "  Raglan"  a  hearty  "  three  times 
three."  All  this  while  the  two  ships  had  been  lying 
nearly  becalmed,  so  that  we  had  not  a  very  long  pull  be- 
fore we  were  safely  back  on  board  our  ship. 

For  about  five  days  we  lie  nearly  idle,  making  very 
little  progress,  almost  on  the  Line.  The  trade  winds 
have  entirely  left  us.  The  heat  is  tremendous — 130°  in 
the  sun ;  and  at  midday,  when  the  sun  is  right  overhead, 
it  is  difficult  to  keep  the  deck.  Toward  evening  the 
coolness  is  very  pleasant ;  and  when  rain  falls,  as  it  can 
only  fall  in  the  tropics,  we  rush  out  to  enjoy  the  bath. 
We  assume  the  thinnest  of  bizarre  costumes,  and  stand 
still  under  the  torrent,  or  vary  the  pleasure  by  emptying 
buckets  over  each  other. 

We  are  now  in  lat.  0°  22',  close  upon  the  equator. 
Though  our  sails  are  set,  we  are  not  sailing,  but  only 
floating — indeed,  we  seem  to  be  drifting.  On  looking 
round  the  horizon,  I  count  no  fewer  than  sixteen  ships  in 
sight,  all  in  the  same  plight  as  ourselves.  We  are  drawn 


38  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

together  by  an  under-current  or  eddy,  though  scarcely  a 
breath  of  wind  is  stirring.  "We  did  not,  however,  speak 
any  of  the  ships,  most  of  them  being  comparatively  dis- 
tant. 

We  cross  the  Line  about  8  P.M.  on  the  twentieth  day 
from  Plymouth.  "We  have  certainly  had  a  very  fine  run 
thus  far,  slow  though  our  progress  now  is,  for  we  are  only 
going  at  the  rate  of  about  a  mile  an  hour;  but  when  we 
have  got  a  little  farther  south  we  expect  to  get  out  of  the 
tropical  calms  and  catch  the  southeast  trade  winds. 

On  the  day  following,  the  24th  of  March,  a  breeze 
sprang  up,  and  we  made  a  run  of  187"  miles.  We  have 
now  passed  the  greatest  heat,  and  shortly  expect  cooler 
weather.  Our  spirits  rise  with  the  breeze,  and  we  again 
begin  to  think  of  getting  up  some  entertainments  on 
board ;  for,  though  we  have  run  some  4800  miles  from 
Plymouth,  we  have  still  some  fifty  days  before  us  ere  we 
expect  to  see  Melbourne. 

One  thing  that  strikes  me  much  is  the  magnificence  of 
the  tropical  sunsets.  The  clouds  assume  all  sorts  of  fan- 
tastic shapes,  and  appear  more  solid  and  clearly  defined 
than  I  have  ever  seen  before.  Toward  evening  they 
seem  to  float  in  color — purple,  pink,  red,  and  yellow  al- 
ternately— while  the  sky  near  the  setting  sun  seems  of  a 
beautiful  green,  gradually  melting  into  the  blue  sky 
above.  The  great  clouds  on  the  horizon  look  like  moun- 
tains tipped  with  gold  and  fiery  red.  One  of  these  sun- 
sets was  a  wonderful  sight.  The  sun  went  down  into 
the  sea  between  two  enormous  clouds — the  only  ones  to 
be  seen — and  they  blazed  with  the  brilliant  colors  I  have 
described,  which  were  constantly  changing,  until  the 
clouds  stood  out  in  dark  relief  against  the  still  delicately 


WITHIN  THE  TROPICS.  39 

tinted  sky.  I  got  up  frequently  to  see  the  sun  rise,  but 
in  the  tropics  it  is  not  nearly  so  fine  at  its  rising  as  at  its 
setting. 

A  ship  was  announced  as  being  in  sight,  with  a  signal 
flying  to  speak  with  us.  We  were  sailing  along  under 
a  favorable  breeze,  but  our  captain  put  the  ship  about 
and  waited  for  the  stranger.  It  proved  to  be  a  Yankee 
whaler.  When  the  captain  came  on  board,  he  said  "  he 
guessed  he  only  wanted  newspapers."  Our  skipper  was 
in  a  "  roaring  wax"  at  being  stopped  in  his  course  for 
such  a  trivial  matter,  but  he  said  nothing.  The  whaler 
had  been  out  four  years,  and  her  last  port  was  Honolulu, 
in  the  Sandwich  Islands.  The  Yankee  captain,  among 
other  things,  wanted  to  know  if  Grant  was  President, 
and  if  the  "Alabama"  Question  was  settled;  he  was  in- 
terested in  the  latter  question,  as  the  "Alabama"  had 
burnt  one  of  his  ships.  He  did  not  seem  very  comfort- 
able while  on  board,  and  when  he  had  got  his  papers  he 
took  his  leave.  I  could  not  help  admiring  the  whale- 
boat  in  which  he  was  rowed  back  to  his  own  vessel.  It 
was  a  beautiful  little  thing,  though  dirty ;  but  it  had 
doubtless  seen  much  service.  It  was  exquisitely  model- 
ed, and  the  two  seamen  in  the  little  craft  handled  it  to 
perfection.  How  they  contrived  to  stand  up  in  it  quite 
steady,  while  the  boat,  sometimes  apparently  half  out  of 
the  water,  kept  rising  and  falling  on  the  long  ocean  swell, 
seemed  to  me  little  short  of  marvelous. 


40  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTER  IY. 


April  Fools'  Day. — A  Ship  in  Sight. — The  "  Pyrmont. "— The  Eescued 
"Blue  Jacket"  Passengers. — Story  of  the  burnt  Ship. — Suffering  of  the 
Lady  Passengers  in  an  open  Boat. — Their  Rescue. — Distressing  Scene 
on  board  the  "Pyrmont." 

\st  April. — I  was  roused  early  this  morning  by  the 
cry  outside  of  "  Get  up !  get  up !  There  is  a  ship  on  fire 
ahead !"  I  got  up  instantly,  dressed,  and  hastened  on 
deck,  like  many  more.  But  there  was  no  ship  on  fire ; 
and  then  we  laughed,  and  remembered  that  it  was  All- 
Fools'  Day. 

In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  we  descried  a  sail,  and 
shortly  after  we  observed  that  she  was  bearing  down 
upon  us.  The  cry  of  "  Letters  for  home !"  was  raised, 
and  we  hastened  below  to  scribble  a  few  last  words, 
close  our  letters,  and  bring  them  up  for  the  letter-bag. 

By  this  time  the  strange  ship  had  drawn  considerably 
nearer,  and  we  saw  that  she  was  a  barque,  heavily  laden. 
She  proved  to  be  the  "  Pyrmont,"  a  German  vessel  be- 
longing to  Hamburg,  but  now  bound  for  Yarmouth  from 
Iquique,  with  a  cargo  of  saltpetre  on  board.  When  she 
came  near  enough  to  speak  us,  our  captain  asked, "  What 
do  you  want  ?"  The  answer  was,  " i  Blue  Jacket'  burnt 
at  sea ;  her  passengers  on  board.  Have  you  a  doctor  ?" 
Here  was  a  sensation !  Our  April  Fools'  alarm  was 
true,  after  all.  A  vessel  had  been  on  fire,  and  here  were 


THE  " BL UE  JACKET."  41 

the  poor  passengers  asking  for  help.  We  knew  nothing 
of  the  "  Blue  Jacket,"  but  soon  we  were  to  know  all. 

A  boat  was  at  once  lowered  from  the  davits,  and  went 
off  with  the  doctor  and  the  first  mate.  It  was  a  hazy, 
sultry,  tropical  day,  with  a  very  slight  breeze  stirring, 
and  very  little  sea.  Our  main  yard  was  backed  to  pre- 
vent our  farther  progress,  and  both  ships  lay-to  within  a 
short  distance  of  each  other.  We  watched  our  boat  un- 
til we  saw  the  doctor  and  officer  mount  the  "  Pyrmont," 
and  then  waited  for  farther  intelligence. 

Shortly  after  we  saw  our  boat  leaving  the  ship's  side, 
and  as  it  approached  we  observed  that  it  contained  some 
strangers  as  well  as  our  doctor,  who  had  returned  for 
medicines,  lint,  and  other  appliances.  When  the  stran- 
gers reached  the  deck  we  found  that  one  of  them  was 
the  first  officer  of  the  unfortunate  "  Blue  Jacket,"  and 
the  other  one  of  the  burnt-out  passengers.  The  latter, 
poor  fellow,  looked  a  piteous  sight.  He  had  nothing  on 
but  a  shirt  and  a  pair  of  trowsers ;  his  hair  was  matted, 
his  face  haggard,  his  eyes  sunken.  He  was  without 
shoes,  and  his  feet  was  so  sore  that  he  could  scarcely 
walk  without  support. 

And  yet  it  turned  out  that  this  poor  suffering  fellow 
was  one  of  the  best-conditioned  of  those  who  had  been 
saved  from  the  burnt  ship.  He  told  us  how  that  the 
whole  of  the  fellow-passengers  whom  he  had  just  left  on 
board  the  "  Pyrmont"  wanted  clothes,  shirts,  and  shoes, 
and  were  in  a  wretched  state,  having  been  tossed  about 
at  sea  in  an  open  boat  for  about  nine  days,  during  which 
they  had  suffered  the  extremities  of  cold,  thirst,  and 
hanger. 

We  were  horrified  by  the  appearance,  and  etill  more 


42  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

by  the  recital,  of  the  poor  fellow.  Every  moment  he 
astonished  us  by  new  details  of  horror.  But  it  was  of 
no  use  listening  to  more.  We  felt  we  must  do  some- 
thing. All  the  passengers  at  once  bestirred  themselves, 
and  went  into  their  cabins  to  seek  out  any  clothing  they 
could  spare  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers.  I  found  I 
could  give  trowsers,  shirts,  a  pair  of  drawers,  a  blanket, 
and  several  pocket-handkerchiefs ;  and  as  the  other  pas- 
sengers did  likewise,  a  very  fair  bundle  was  soon  made 
up  and  sent  on  board  the  "  Pyrmont." 

Of  course,  we  were  all  eager  to  know  something  of 
the  details  of  the  calamity  which  had  befallen  the  "  Blue 
Jacket."  It  was  some  time  before  we  learned  them  all ; 
but  as  two  of  the  passengers — who  had  been  gold-dig- 
gers in  New-  Zealand — were  so  good  as  to  write  out  a 
statement  for  the  doctor,  the  original  of  which  now  lies 
before  me,  I  will  endeavor,  in  as  few  words  as  I  can,  to 
give  you  some  idea  of  the  burning  of  the  ship  and  the 
horrible  sufferings  of  the  passengers. 

The  "  Blue  Jacket"  sailed  from  Port  Lyttleton,  New 
Zealand,  for  London  on  the  13th  of  February,  1869, 
laden  with  wool,  cotton,  flax,  and  15,000  ounces  of  gold. 
There  were  seven  first-cabin  passengers  and  seventeen 
second-cabin.  The  ship  had  a  fine  run  to  Cape  Horn 
and  past  the  Falkland  Islands.  All  went  well  until  the 
9th  of  March,  when,  in  latitude  50°  26'  south,  one  of  the 
seamen,  about  midday,  observed  smoke  issuing  from  the 
fore-hatch-house.  The  cargo  was  on  fire !  All  haste  was 
made  to  extinguish  it.  The  fire-engines  were  set  to 
work,  passengers  as  well  as  crew  working  with  a  will, 
and  at  one  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  fire  would  be  got  un- 
der. The  hatch  was  opened,  and  the  second  mate  at- 


THE  "BLUE  JA CEET. "  43 

tempted  to  go  down,  with  the  object  of  getting  up  and 
throwing  overboard  the  burning  bales,  but  he  was  drawn 
back  insensible.  The  hatch  was  again  closed,  and  holes 
were  cut  in  the  deck  to  pass  the  water  down ;  but  the 
seat  of  the  fire  could  not  be  reached.  The  cutter  was 
lowered,  together  with  the  two  life-boats,  for'  use  in  case 
of  need.  About  7  30  P.M.  the  fire  burst  through  the 
decks,  and  in  about  half  an  hour  the  whole  forecastle 
was  enveloped  in  flames,  which  ran  up  the  rigging,  lick- 
ing up  the  foresail  and  fore-top.  The  mainmast  being 
of  iron,  the  flames  rushed  through  the  tube  as  through  a 
chimney,  until  it  became  of  a  white  heat.  The  lady  pas- 
sengers in  the  after  part  of  the  ship  must  have  been  kept 
in  a  state  of  total  ignorance  of  the  ship's  danger,  other- 
wise it  is  impossible  to  account  for  their  having  to  rush 
on  board  the  boats  at  the  last  moment  with  only  the 
dresses  they  wore.  Only  a  few  minutes  before  they  left 
the  ship,  one  of  the  ladies  was  playing  the  "  Guards' 
Waltz"  on  the  cabin  piano ! 

There  was  no  hope  of  safety  but  in  the  boats,  which 
were  hurriedly  got  into.  On  deck,  every  thing  was  in  a 
state  of  "confusion.  Most  of  the  passengers  got  into  the 
cutter,  but  without  a  seaman  to  take  charge  of  it.  When 
the  water-cask  was  lowered,  it  was  sent  bung  downward, 
and  nearly  half  the  water  was  lost.  By  this  time  the 
burning  ship  was  a  grand  but  fearful  sight,  and  the  roar 
of  the  flames  was  frightful  to  hear.  At  length  the  cut- 
ter and  the  two  life-boats  got  away,  and  as  they  floated 
astern  the  people  in  them  saw  the  masts  disappear  one 
by  one,  and  the  hull  of  the  ship  a  roaring  mass  of  fire. 

In  the  early  gray  of  the  morning  the  three  boats  mus- 
tered, and  two  of  the  passengers,  who  were  on  one  of  the 


44  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

life-boats,  were  taken  on  board  the  cutter.  It  now  con- 
tained thirty-seven  persons,  including  the  captain,  first 
officer,  doctor,  steward,  purser,  several  able-bodied  sea- 
men, and  all  the  passengers;  while  the  two  life-boats 
had  thirty-one  of  the  crew.  The  boats  drifted  about  all 
day,  there  being  no  wind,  and  the  burning  ship  wras  still 
in  sight.  On  the  third  day  the  life-boats  were  not  to  be 
seen ;  each  had  a  box  of  gold  on  board  by  way  of  ballast. 

A  light  breeze  having  sprung  up,  sail  was  made  on  the 
cutter,  the  captain  intending  to  run  for  the  Falkland  Isl- 
ands. The  sufferings  of  the  passengers  increased  from 
day  to  day ;  they  soon  ran  short  of  water,  until  the  day's 
allowance  was  reduced  to  about  two  table-spoonfuls  for 
each  person.  It  was  pitiful  to  hear  the  little  children 
calling  for  more,  but  it  could  not  be  given  them :  men, 
women,  and  children  had  to  share  alike.  Provisions 
failed.  The  biscuit  had  been  spoiled  by  the  salt  water ; 
all  that  remained  in  the  way  of  food  was  preserved  meat, 
which  was  soon  exhausted,  after  which  the  only  allow- 
ance, besides  the  two  table-spoonfuls  of  water,  was  a 
table-spoonful  of  preserved  soup  every  twenty-four  hours. 
Meanwhile  the  wind  freshened,  the  sea  rose,  and  the 
waves  came  dashing  over  the  passengers,  completely 
drenching  them.  The  poor  ladies,  thinly  clad,  looked 
the  pictures  of  misery. 

Thus  seven  days  passed — days  of  slow  agony,  such  as 
words  can  not  describe — until  at  last  the  joyous  words 
"  A  sail !  a  sail"  roused  the  sufferers  to  new  life.  A 
man  was  sent  to  the  mast-head  with  a  red  blanket  to 
hoist  by  way  of  signal  of  distress.  The  ship  saw  the 
signal,  and  bore  down  upon  the  cutter.  She  proved  to 
be  the  "  Pyrmont,"  the  ship  lying  within  sight  of  us,  and 


THE  ' <BL  UE  JA  CKET. "  45 

between  which  and  the  "Yorkshire"  our  boat  kept  ply- 
ing for  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 

Strange  to  say,  the  rescued  people  suffered  more  after 
they  had  got  on  board  the  "Pyrmont"  than  they  had 
done  during  their  period  of  starvation  and  exposure. 
Few  of  them  could  stand  or  walk  when  taken  on  board, 
all  being  reduced  to  the  last  stage  of  weakness.  Scarce- 
ly had  they  reached  the  "  Pyrmont"  ere  the  third  stew- 
ard died;  next  day  the  ship's  purser  died  insane;  and 
two  days  after,  one  of  the  second-cabin  passengers  died. 
The  others,  who  recovered,  broke  out  in  sores  and  boils, 
more  particularly  on  their  hands  and  feet;  and  when 
the  "  Yorkshire"  met  them,  many  of  the  passengers,  as 
well  as  the  crew  of  the  burnt  "  Blue  Jacket,"  were  in  a 
most  pitiable  plight. 

I  put  off  with  the  third  boat  which  left  onr  ship's  side 
for  the  "Pyrmont."  "We  were  lying  nearly  becalmed 
all  this  time,  so  that  passing  between  the  ships  by  boat 
was  comparatively  easy.  We  took  with  us  as  much 
fresh  water  as  we  could  spare,  together  with  provisions 
and  other  stores.  I  carried  with  me  a  few  spare  books 
for  the  use  of  the  "  Blue  Jacket"  passengers. 

On  reaching  the  deck  of  the  "  Pyrmont,"  the  scene 
which  presented  itself  was  such  as  I  think  I  shall  never 
forget.  The  three  rescued  ladies  were  on  the  poop ;  and 
ladies  you  could  see  they  were,  in  spite  of  their  scanty 
and  disheveled  garments.  The  dress  of  one  of  them 
consisted  of  a  common  striped  man's  shirt,  a  water-proof 
cloak  made  into  a  skirt,  and  a  pair  of  coarse  canvas 
slippers,  while  on  her  finger  glittered  a  magnificent  dia- 
mond ring.  The  other  ladies  were  no  better  dressed, 
and  none  of  them  had  any  covering  for  the  head.  Their 


46  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

faces  bore  distinct  traces  of  the  sufferings  they  had  un- 
dergone. Their  eyes  were  sunken,  their  cheeks  pale, 
and  every  now  and  then  a  sort  of  spasmodic  twitch 
seemed  to  pass  over  their  features.  One  of  them  could 
just  stand,  but  could  not  walk ;  the  others  were  compar- 
atively helpless.  A  gentleman  was  lying  close  by  the 
ladies,  still  suffering  grievously  in  his  hands  and  feet 
from  the  effects  of  his  long  exposure  in  the  open  boat, 
while  one  side  of  his  body  was  completely  paralyzed. 
One  poor  little  boy  could  not  move,  and  the  doctor  said 
he  must  lose  one  or  two  of  his  toes  through  mortification. 

One  of  the  ladies  was  the  wife  of  the  passenger  gen- 
tleman who  had  first  come  on  board  of  our  ship.  She 
was  a  young  lady,  newly  married,  who  had  just  set  out 
on  her  wedding  trip.  What  a  terrible  beginning  of 
married  life !  I  found  she  had  suffered  more  than  the 
others  through  her  devotion  to  her  husband.  He  was, 
at  one  time,  constantly  employed  in  baling  the  boat,  and 
would  often  have  given  way  but  for  her.  She  insisted 
on  his  taking  half  her  allowance  of  water,  so  that  he 
had  three  table-spoonfuls  daily  instead  of  two,  whereas 
she  had  only  one  ! 

While  in  the  boat  the  women  and  children  were 
forced  to  sit  huddled  up  at  one  end  of  it,  covered  with 
a  blanket,  the  seas  constantly  breaking  over  them  and 
soaking  through  every  thing.  They  had  to  sit  upright, 
and  in  very  cramped  postures,  for  fear  of  capsizing  the 
boat ;  and  the  little  sleep  they  got  could  only  be  snatch- 
ed sitting.  Yet  they  bore  their  privations  with  great 
courage  and  patience,  and  while  the  men  were  complain- 
ing and  swearing,  the  women  and  children  never  uttered 
a  complaint. 


THE  "BLUE  JA CKET. "  4 7 

I  had  a  long  talk  with  the  ladies,  whom  I  found  very 
resigned  and  most  grateful  for  their  deliverance.  I  pre- 
sented my  books,  which  were  thankfully  received ;  and 
the  newly-married  lady,  forgetful  of  her  miseries,  talked 
pleasantly  and  intelligently  about  current  topics  and 
home  news.  It  did  seem  strange  for  me  to  be  sitting  on 
the  deck  of  the  "  Pyrmont,"  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlan- 
tic, talking  with  these  shipwrecked  ladies  about  the  last 
new  novel ! 

At  last  we  took  our  leave,  laden  with  thanks,  and  re- 
turned on  board  our  ship.  It  was  now  growing  dusk. 
We  had  done  all  that  we  could  for  the  help  of  the  poor 
sufferers*'  on  board  the  "  Pyrmont,"  and,  a  light  breeze 
springing  up,  all  sail  was  set,  and  we  resumed  our  voy- 
age south. 

Two  of  the  gold-diggers,  who  had  been  second-class 
passengers  by  the  "Blue  Jacket,"  came  on  board  our 
ship  with  the  object  of  returning  with  us  to  Melbourne, 
and  it  is  from  their  recital  that  I  have  collated  the  above 
account  of  the  disaster. 


48  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTEE  Y. 

JN   THE    SOUTH    ATLANTIC. 

Preparing  for  Rough  Weather.  —  The  "George  Thompson"  Clipper.  —  A 
Race  at  Sea.  —  Scene  from  "Pickwick"  acted.  —  Fishing  for  Albatross.  — 
Dissection  and  Division  of  the  Bird.  —  Whales.  —  Strong  Gale.  —  Smash 
in  the  Cabin.  —  Shipping  a  Green  Sea.  —  The  Sea-birds  in  our  Wake.  — 
The  Crozet  Islands. 


April.  —  We  are  now  past  the  pleasantest  part  of 
our  voyage,  and  expect  to  encounter  much  rougner  seas. 
Every  thing  is  accordingly  prepared  for  heavy  weather. 
The  best  and  newest  sails  are  bent;  the  old  and  worn 
ones  are  sent  below.  We  may  have  to  encounter  storms 
or  even  cyclones  in  the  Southern  Ocean,  and  our  captain 
is  now  ready  for  any  wind  that  may  blow.  For  some 
days  we  have  had  a  very  heavy  swell  coming  up  from 
the  south,  as  if  there  were  strong  winds  blowing  in  that 
quarter.  We  have,  indeed,  already  had  a  taste  of  dirty 
weather  to-day  —  hard  rain,  with  a  stiffish  breeze  ;  but  as 
the  ship  is  still  going  with  the  wind  and  sea,  we  do  not 
as  yet  feel  much  inconvenience. 

A  few  days  since  we  spoke  a  vessel  that  we  had  been 
gradually  coming  up  to  for  some  time,  and  she  proved 
to  be  the  "  George  Thompson,"  a  splendid  Aberdeen- 
built  clipper,  one  of  the  fastest  ships  out  of  London.  No 
sooner  was  this  known  than  it  became  a  matter  of  great 
interest  as  to  whether  we  could  overhaul  the  clipper. 
Our  ship,  because  of  the  height  and  strength  ^of  her  spars, 
enables  us  to  carry  much  more  sail,  and  we  are  probably 


IN  THE  SO  UTH  A TL ANTIC.  49 

equal  to  the  other  ship  in  lighter  breezes ;  but  she,  being 
clipper-built  and  so  much  sharper,  has  the  advantage  of 
us  in  heavier  winds.  The  captain  was  overjoyed  at  hav- 
ing gained  upon  the  other  vessel  thus  far,  for  she  left 
London  five  days  before  we  sailed  from  Plymouth.  As 
we  gradually  drew  nearer,  the  breeze  freshened,  and  there 
became  quite  an  exciting  contest  between  the  ships.  We 
gained  upon  our  rival,  caught  up  to  her,  and  gradually 
forged  ahead,  and  at  sundown  the  "  George  Thompson" 
was  about  six  miles  astern.  Before  we  caught  up  to  her 
she  signaled  to  us,  by  way  of  chaff, "  Signal  us  at  Lloyds !" 
and  when  we  had  passed  her,  we  signaled  back, "  We 
wish  you  a  good  voyage  1" 

The  wind  having  freshened  during  the  night,  the 
"  George  Thompson"  was  seen  gradually  creeping  up  to 
us  with  all  her  sail  set.  The  wind  was  on  our  beam,  and 
the  "  George  Thompson's"  dark  green  hull  seemed  to  us 
sometimes  almost  buried  in  the  sea,  and  we  only  saw  her 
slanting  deck  as  she  heeled  over  from  the  freshening 
breeze.  What  a  cloud  of  canvas  she  carried  !  The  spray 
flew  up  and  over  her  decks  as  she  plunged  right  through 
the  water. 

The  day  advanced ;  she  continued  to  gain,  and  toward 
evening  she  passed  on  our  weather  side.  The  captain, 
of  course,  was  savage ;  but  the  race  was  not  lost  yet.  On 
the  following  day,  with  a  lighter  wind,  we  again  over- 
hauled our  rival,  and  at  night  left  her  four  or  five  miles 
behind.  Next  day  she  was  not  to  be  seen.  We  had  thus 
far  completely  outstripped  the  noted  clipper.* 

*  It  may,  however,  be  added,  that,  though  we  did  not  again  sight  the 
"  George  Thompson"  during  our  voyage,  she  arrived  at  Melbourne  about 
forty-eight  hours  before  our  ship. 

c 


50  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

We  again  begin  to  reconsider  the  question  of  giving 
a  popular  entertainment  on  board.  The  ordinary  recre- 
ations of  quoit-playing  and  such  like  have  become  un- 
popular, and  a  little  variety  is  wanted.  A  reading  from 
"  Pickwick"  is  suggested ;  but  can  not  we  contrive  to  act 
a  few  of  the  scenes !  We  determine  to  get  up  three  of 
the  most  attractive  :  1st.  The  surprise  of  Mrs.  Bardell  in 
Pickwick's  arms ;  2d.  The  notice  of  action  from  Dodson 
and  Fogg ;  and,  3d.  The  Trial  scene.  A  great  deal  of 
time  is,  of  course,  occupied  in  getting  up  the  scenes,  and 
in  the  rehearsals,  which  occasion  a  good  deal  of  amuse- 
ment. A  London  gentleman  promises  to  make  a  capital 
Sam  Weller ;  our  clergyman  a  very  good  Buzf  uz ;  and 
our  worthy  young  doctor  the  great  Pickwick  himself. 

At  length  all  is  ready,  and  the  affair  comes  off  in  the 
main  hatch,  where  there  is  plenty  of  room.  The  theatre 
is  rigged  out  with  flags,  and  looks  quite  gay.  The  pas- 
sengers of  all  classes  assemble,  and  make  a  goodly  com- 
pany*. The  whole  thing  went  off  very  well — indeed, 
much  better  than  was  expected — though  I  do  not  think 
the  third-class  passengers  quite  appreciated  the  wit  of  the 
piece.  Strange  to  say,  the  greatest  success  of  the  even- 
ing was  the  one  least  expected — the  character  of  Mrs. 
Cluppins.  One  of  the  middies,  who  took  the  part,  was 
splendid,  and  evoked  roars  of  laughter. 

Our  success  has  made  us  ambitious,  and  we  think  of 
getting  up  another  piece — a  burlesque,  entitled  "  Sir  Da- 
gobert  and  the  Dragon,"  from  one  of  my  Beeton's  "  An- 
nuals." There  is  not  much  in  it;  "but,faute  de  mieux, 
it  may  do  very  well.  But  to  revert  to  less  "  towny"  and 
much  more  interesting  matters  passing  on  board. 

We  were  in  about  the  latitude  of  the  Cape  of  Good 


IN  THE  SO  UTH  A  TL ANTIC.  5 1 

Hope  when  we  saw  our  first  albatross ;  but  as  we  pro- 
ceeded south  we  were  attended  by  increasing  numbers 
of  those  birds,  as  well  as  of  Mother  Carey's  chickens,  the 
storm-birds  of  the  South  Seas.  The  albatross  is  a  splen- 
did bird,  white  on  the  breast  and  the  inside  of  the  wings, 
the  rest  of  the  body  being  deep  brown  and  black. 

One  of  the  most  popular  amusements  is  "  fishing"  for 
an  albatross,  which  is  done  in  the  following  manner :  A 
long  and  stout  line  is  let  out,  with  a  strong  hook  at  the 
end  baited  with  a  piece  of  meat,  buoyed  up  with  corks. 
This  is  allowed  to  trail  on  the  water  at  the  stern  of  the 
ship.  One  or  other  of  the  sea-birds  wheeling  about,  see- 
ing the  floating  object  in  the  water,  come  up,  eye  it 
askance,  and  perhaps  at  length  clumsily  flop  down  beside 
it.  The  line,  is  at  once  let  out,  so  that  the  bait  may  not 
drag  after  the  ship.  If  this  be  done  cleverly,  and  there 
be  length  enough  of  line  to  let  out  quickly,  the  bird  prob- 
ably makes  a  snatch  at  the  meat,  and  the  hook  catches 
hold  of  his  curved  bill.  Directly  he  grabs  at  the  pork, 
and  it  is  felt  that  the  albatross  is  hooked,  the  letting  out 
of  the  line  is  at  once  stopped,  and  it  is  hauled  in  with  all 
speed.  The  great  thing  is  to  pull  quickly,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent the  bird  getting  the  opportunity  of  spreading  his 
wjngs,  and  making  a  heavy  struggle  as  he  comes  along  on 
the  surface  of  the  water.  It  is  a  good  heavy  pull  for  two 
men  to  get  up  an  albatross  if  the  ship  is  going  at  any 
speed.  The  poor  fellow,  when  hauled  on  deck,  is  no  lon- 
ger the  royal  bird  that  he  seemed  when  circling  above 
our  heads  with  his  great  wings  spread  out  only  a  few 
minutes  ago.  Here  he  is  quite  helpless,  and  tries  to  wad- 
dle about  like  a  great  goose  ;  the  first  thing  he  often  does 
being  to  void  all  the  contents  of  his  stomach,  as  if  he  were 
sea-sick. 


52  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

The  first  albatross  we  caught  was  not  a  very  large 
one,  being  only  about  ten  feet  from  tip  to  tip  of  the 
wings,  whereas  the  larger  birds  measure  from  twelve  to 
thirteen  feet.  The  bird,  when  caught,  was  held  firmly 
down,  and  dispatched  by  the  doctor  with  the  aid  of  prus- 
sic  acid.  He  was  then  cut  up,  and  his  skin,  for  the  sake 
of  the  feathers  and  plumage,  divided  among  us.  The 
head  and  neck  fell  to  my  share,  and,  after  cleaning  and 
dressing  it,  I  hung  my  treasure  by  a  string  out  of  my 
cabin  window ;  but,  when  I  next  went  to  look  at  it,  lo ! 
the  string  had  been  cut,  and  my  albatross's  head  and 
neck  were  gone. 

All  day  the  saloon  and  various  cabins  smelt  very  fishy 
by  reason  of  the  operations  connected  with  the  dissect- 
ing and  cleaning  of  the  several  parts  of  the  albatross. 
One  was  making  a  pipe-stem  out  of  one  of  the  long 
wing-bones.  Another  was  making  a  tobacco-pouch  out 
of  the  large  feet  of  the  bird.  The  doctor's  cabin  was 
like  a  butcher's  shop  in  these  bird-catching  times.  Part 
of  his  floor  would  be  occupied  by  the  bloody  skin  of  the 
great  bird,  stretched  out  upon  boards,  with  the  doctor  on 
his  knees  beside  it  working  away  with  his  dissecting  scis- 
sors and  pincers,  getting  the  large  pieces  of  fat  off  the 
skin.  Esculapius  seemed  quite  to  relish  the  operation ; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  clergyman,  who  occupied 
the  same  cabin,  held  his  handkerchief  to  his  nose,  and 
regarded  the  debris  of  flesh  and  feathers  on  the  floor 
with  horror  and  dismay. 

Other  birds,  of  a  kind  we  had  not  before  seen,  shortly 
made  their  appearance,  flying  round  the  ship.  There  is, 
for  instance,  the  whale-bird,  perfectly  black  on  the  top 
of  the  wings  and  body,  and  white  underneath.  It  is  in 


IN  THE  SO  UTH  A  TL ANTIC.  5  3 

size  between  a  Mother  Carey  and  a  Molly-hawk,  which 
latter  is  very  nearly  as  big  as  an  albatross.  Ice-birds 
and  Cape  pigeons  also  fly  about  us  in  numbers ;  the  lat- 
ter are  about  the  size  of  ordinary  pigeons,  black  mottled 
with  white  on  the  back,  and  gray  on  the  breast. 

A  still  more  interesting  sight  was  that  of  a  great 
grampus,  which  rose  close  to  the  ship,  exposing  his  body 
as  he  leaped  through  a  wave.  Shortly  after,  a  few  more 
were  seen  at  a  greater  distance,  as  if  playing  about  and 
gamboling  for  our  amusement, 

Vlth  April.— The  weather  is  growing  sensibly  colder. 
Instead  of  broiling  under  cover,  in  the  thinnest  of  gar- 
ments, we  now  revert  to  our  winter  clothing  for  comfort. 
Toward  night  the  wind  rose,  and  gradually  increased 
until  it  blew  a  heavy  gale,  so  strong  that  all  the  sails 
had  to  be  taken  in — all  but  the  foresail  and  the  main 
topsail  closely  reefed.  Luckily  for  us,  the  wind  was 
nearly  aft,  so  that  we  did  not  feel  its  effects  nearly  so 
much  as  if  it  had  been  on  our  beam.  To-night  we 
rounded  the  Cape,  twenty-four  days  from  the  Line,  and 
forty-five  from  Plymouth. 

On  the  following  day  the  wind  was  still  blowing  hard. 
When  I  went  on  deck  in  the  morning  I  found  that  the 
mainsail  had  been  split  up  the  middle  and  carried  away 
with  a  loud  bang  to  sea.  The  ship  was  now  under  miz- 
zen  topsail,  close-reefed  main  topsail,  and  fore  topsail 
and  foresail,  no  new  mainsail  having  been  bent.  The 
sea  was  a  splendid  sight.  Waves,  like  low  mountains, 
came  rolling  after  us,  breaking  along  each  side  of  the 
ship.  I  was  a  personal  sufferer  by  the  gale.  I  had 
scarcely  got  on  deck  when  the  wind  whisked  off  my 
Scotch  cap  with  the  silver  thistle  in  it,  and  blew  it  away 


54  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

to  sea.  Then,  in  going  down  to  my  cabin,  I  found  my 
books,  boxes,  and  furniture  lurching  about ;  and,  to  wind 
up  with,  during  the  evening  I  was  rolled  over  while  sit- 
ting on  one  of  the  cuddy  chairs,  and  broke  it.  Truly  a 
day  full  of  small  misfortunes  for  me ! 

In  the  night  I  was  awakened  up  by  the  noise  and  the 
violent  rolling  of  the  ship.  The  mizzen  mast  strained 
and  creaked ;  chairs  had  broken  loose  in  the  saloon ; 
crockery  was  knocking  about  and  smashing  up  in  the 
steward's  pantry.  In  the  cabin  adjoining,  the  water-can 
and  bath  were  rambling  up  and  down ;  and  in  the  midst 
of  all  the  hubbub  the  Major  could  be  heard  shouting, 
"  Two  to  one  on  the  water-can !"  "  They  were  just  tak- 
ing the  fences,"  he  said.  There  were  few  but  had  some 
mishap  in  their  cabins.  One  had  a  hunt  after  a  box 
that  had  broken  loose ;  another  was  lamenting  the  neces- 
sity of  getting  up  after  his  wash-hand  basin  and  placing 
his  legs  in  peril  outside  his  bunk.  Before  breakfast  I 
went  on  deck  to  look  at  the  scene.  It  was  still  blowing 
a  gale.  We  were  under  topsails  and  mainsail,  with  a 
close-reefed  topsail  on  the  mizzen  mast.  The  sight  from 
the  poop  was  splendid.  At  one  moment  we  were  high 
up  on  the  top  of  a  wave,  looking  into  a  deep  valley  be- 
hind us ;  at  another  we  were  down  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea,  with  an  enormous  wall  of  water  coming  after  us. 
The  pure  light  green  waves  were  crested  with  foam, 
which  curled  over  and  over,  and  never  stopped  rolling. 
The  deck  lay  over  at  a  dreadful  slant  to  a  landsman's 
eye ;  indeed,  notwithstanding  holding  on  to  every  thing 
I  could  catch,  I  fell  four  times  during  the  morning. 

With  difficulty  I  reached  the  saloon,  where  the  pas- 
sengers had  assembled  for  breakfast.  Scarcely  had  we 


IN  THE  SO  UTH  A  TL ANTIC.  5  5 

taken  our  seats  when  an  enormous  sea  struck  the  ship, 
landed  on  the  poop,  dashed  in  the  saloon  skylight,  and 
flooded  the  table  with  water.  This  was  a  bad  event  for 
those  who  had  not  had  their  breakfast.  As  I  was  mount- 
ing the  cuddy  stairs,  I  met  the  captain  coming  down 
thoroughly  soaked.  He  had  been  knocked  down,  and 
had  to  hold  on  by  a  chain  to  prevent  himself  being 
washed  about  the  deck.  The  officer  of  the  watch  after- 
ward told  me  that  he  had  seen  his  head  bobbing  up  and 
down  amid  the  water,  of  which  there  were  tons  on  the 
poop. 

This  was  what  they  call  "  shipping  a  green  sea" — so 
called  because  so  much  water  is  thrown  upon  the  deck 
that  it  ceases  to  have  the  frothy  appearance  of  smaller 
seas  when  shipped,  but  looks  a  mass  of  solid  green  wa- 
ter. Our  skipper  afterward  told  us  at  dinner  that  the 
captain  of  the  "  Essex"  had  not  long  ago  been  thrown  by 
such  a  sea  on  to  one  of  the  hen-coops  that  run  round  the 
poop,  breaking  through  the  iron  bars,  and  that  he  had 
been  so  bruised  that  he  had  not  yet  entirely  recovered 
from  his  injuries.  Such  is  the  tremendous  force  of  wa- 
ter in  violent  motion  at  sea.* 

When  I  went  on  deck  again  the  wind  had  somewhat 
abated,  but  the  sea  was  still  very  heavy.  While  on  the 
poop,  one  enormous  wave  came  rolling  on  after  us,  seem- 
ing as  if  it  must  ingulf  the  ship.  But  the  stern  rose 
gradually  and  gracefully  as  the  huge  wave  came  on, 
and  it  rolled  along,  bubbling  over  the  sides  of  the  main 
deck,  and  leaving  it  about  two  feet  deep  in  water.  As 

*  Mr.  G.  Stevenson  registered  a  force  of  three  tons  per  square  foot  at 
Skerryvore  during  a  gale  in  the  Atlantic,  when  the  waves  were  supposed 
to  be  twenty  feet  high. 


56 


ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


the   day  wore   on  the  wind  gradually  went  down,  and 
it  seemed  as  if  we  were  to  have  another  spell  of  fine 

weather. 

The. next  morn- 
ing the  sun  shone 
clear ;  the  wind  had 
nearly  died  away, 
although  a  heavy 
swell  still  crossed 
our  quarter.  Thou- 
sands of  sea-birds 
flew  about  us,  and 
clusters  were  to  be 
seen  off  our  stern 
as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  They 
seemed,though  on  a 
much  larger  scale, 


IN  THE  SO  UTH  A  TL ANTIC.  5  7 

to  be  hanging  upon  our  track,  just  as  a  flock  of  crows 
hang  over  the  track  of  a  plow  in  the  field,  and  doubtless 
for  the  same  reason — to  pick  up  the  food  thrown  up  by 
the  mighty  keel  of  our  ship.  Most  of  them  were  ice- 
birds,  blue  petrels,  and  whale-birds,  with  a  large  admix- 
ture of  albatrosses  and  Mother  Carey's  chickens.  One 
of  the  passengers  caught  and  killed  one  of  the  last- 
named  birds,  at  which  the  captain  was  rather  displeased, 
the  sailors  having  a  superstition  about  these  birds  that  it 
is  unlucky  to  kill  them.  An  ice-bird  was  caught,  and  a 
very  pretty  bird  it  is,  almost  pure  white,  with  delicate 
blue  feet  and  beak.  Another  caught  a  Cape  pigeon, 
and  I  caught  a  stink-pot,  a  large  bird  measuring  about 
eight  feet  from  wing  to  wing.  The  bird  was  very 
plucky  when  got  on  deck,  and  tried  to  peck  at  us ;  but 
we  soon  had  him  dowrn.  As  his  plumage  was  of  no  use, 
we  fastened  a  small  tin  plate  to  his  leg,  with  "  York- 
shire" scratched  on  it,  and  let  him  go.  But  it  was  some 


C2 


58  •         ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

time  before  he  rose  from  his  waddling  on  the  deck, 
spread  his  wings,  and  sailed  into  the  air. 

Some  of  the  passengers  carry  on  shooting  at  the  nu- 
merous birds  from  the  stern  of  the  ship ;  but  it  is  cruel 
sport.  It  may  be  fun  to  us,  but  it  is  death  to  the  birds. 
And  not  always  death.  Poor  things!  It  is  a  pitiful 
sight  to  see  one  of  them,  pricked  or  winged,  floating 
away  with  its  wounds  upon  it  until  quite  out  of  sight. 
Such  sport  seems  cruel,  if  it  be  not  cowardly. 

23d  April. — We  are  now  in  latitude  45°  16'  south, 
and  the  captain  tells  us  that  during  the  night  we  may 
probably  sight  the  Crozet  Islands.  It  seems  that  these 
islands  are  inaccurately  marked  on  the  charts,  some  of 
even  the  best  authorities  putting  them  from  one  and  a 
half  to  two  degrees  out  both  in  latitude  and  longitude, 
as  the  captain  showed  us  by  a  late  edition  of  a  standard 
work  on  navigation.  Once  he  came  pretty  well  south 
on  purpose  to  sight  them ;  but  when  he  reached  the  pre- 
cise latitude  in  which,  according  to  his  authority,  they 
were  situated,  they  were  not  to  be  seen. 

At  eight  P.M.  the  man  on  the  lookout  gave  the  cry 
of  "  Land  ho !"  "  Where  away  ?"  "  On  the  lee  beam." 
I  strained  my  eyes  in  the  direction  indicated,  but  could 
make  out  nothing  like  land.  I  could  see  absolutely 
nothing  but  water  all  round.  Two  hours  passed  before 
I  could  discern  any  thing  which  could  give  one  the  idea 
of  land — three  small,  misty,  cloud-looking  objects,  lying 
far  off  to  the  south,  which  were  said  to  be  the  islands. 
In  about  an  hour  more  we  were  within  about  five  miles 
of  Les  Apotres,  part  of  the  group,  having  passed  Cochon 
in  the  distance.  Cochon  is  so  called  because  of  the 
number  of  wild  pigs  on  the  island.  The  largest,  Pos- 


IN  THE  SO  UTH  A  TL ANTIC.  5  9 

session  Island,  gave  refuge  to  the  shipwrecked  crew  of 
a  whaler  for  about  two  years,  when  they  were  at  length 
picked  off  by  a  passing  ship.  The  Crozets  are  of  volca- 
nic origin,  and  some  of  them  present  a  curious,  conical, 
and  sometimes  fantastic  appearance,  more  particularly 
Les  Apotres.  The  greater  number  of  them  are  quite 
barren,  the  only  vegetation  of  the  others  consisting  of  a 
few  low  stunted  bushes. 


60  '  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

NEARING   AUSTRALIA THE   LANDING. 

Acting  on  Board. — The  Cyclone. — Clearing  the  Ship  for  Port.— Contra- 
ry Winds. — Australia  in  Sight. — Cape  Otway.— Port  Phillip  Heads. — 
Pilot  taken  on  Board. — Inside  the  Heads. — Williamstown.  —  Sand- 
ridge. — The  Landing. 

MOKE  theatricals  !  "  Sir  Dagobert  and  the  Dragon" 
is  played,  and  comes  off  very  well.  The  extemporized 
dresses  and  "properties"  are  the  most  amusing  of  all. 
The  company  next  proceed  to  get  up  "Aladdin  and  the 
Wonderful  Scamp"  to  pass  the  time,  which  hangs  heavy 
on  our  hands.  We  now  begin  to  long  for  the  termina- 
tion of  our  voyage.  We  have  sailed  about  10,000  miles, 
but  have  still  about  3000  more  before  us. 

30th  April. — To-day  we  have  made  the  longest  run 
since  we  left  Plymouth,  not  less  than  290  miles  in  twen- 
ty-four hours.  We  have  before  made  270,  but  then  the 
sea  was  smooth,  and  the  wind  fair.  Now  the  wind  is 
blowing  hard  on  our  beam,  with  a  heavy  sea  running. 
About  3  P.M.  we  sighted  a  barque  steering  at  right  an- 
gles to  our  course.  In  a  short  time  we  came  up  with 
her,  and  found  that  she  was  the  Dutch  barque  "  Vrede," 
ninety-eight  days  from  Amsterdam,  and  bound  for  Ba- 
tavia.  She  crossed  so  close  to  our  stern  that  one  might 
almost  have  pitched  a  biscuit  on  board. 

During  the  night  the  sea  rose,  the  wind  blowin^strong 
across  our  beam,  and  the  ship  pitched  and  rolled  as  she 


HEARING  A  USTRALIA-  THE  LANDING.  Q  i 

is  said  never  to  have  done  since  she  was  built.  There 
was  not  much  sleep  for  us  that  night.  The  wind  in- 
creased to  a  strong  gale,  until  at  length  it  blew  quite  a 
hurricane.  It  was  scarcely  possible  to  stand  on  deck. 
The  wind  felt  as  if  it  blew  solid.  The  ship  was  driving 
furiously  along  under  close-reefed  topsails.  Looking 
over  the  side,  one  could  only  see  the  black  waves,  crest- 
ed with  foam,  scudding  past. 

It  appears  that  we  are  now  in  a  cyclone — not  in  the 
worst  part  of  it,  but  in  the  inner  edge  of  the  outside  cir- 
cle. Skillful  navigators  know  by  experience  how  to 
make  their  way  out  of  these  furious  ocean  winds,  and 
our  captain  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  In  about  seven 
hours  we  were  quite  clear  of  it,  though  the  wind  blew 
fresh,  and  the  ship  rolled  heavily,  the  sea  continuing  for 
some  time  in  a  state  of  great  agitation. 

For  some  days  the  wind  keeps  favorable,  and  our  ship 
springs  forward  as  if  she  knew  her  port,  and  was  eager 
to  reach  it.  A  few  more  days  and  we  may  be  in  sight 
of  Australia.  We  begin  almost  to  count  the  hours.  In 
anticipation  of  our  arrival,  the  usual  testimonial  to  the 
captain  is  set  on  foot,  all  being  alike  ready  to  bear  testi- 
mony to  his  courtesy  and  seamanship.  On  deck,  the 
men  begin  to  holystone  the  planks,  polish  up  the  brass- 
work,  and  make  every  thing  shipshape  for  port.  The 
middies  are  at  work  here  on  the  poop,  each  "with  a 
sharp  knife  and  a  clear  conscience,"  cutting  away  pieces 
of  tarry  rope.  New  ratlines  are  being  fastened  up  across 
the  shrouds.  The  standing  rigging  is  re-tarred  and  shines 
black.  The  deck  is  fresh  scraped  as  well  as  the  mizzen 
mast,  and  the  white  paint-pot  has  been  used  freely. 

9th  May. — We  are  now  in  Australian  waters,  sailing 


62  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

along  under  the  lee  of  Cape  Leeuwin,  though  the  land  is 
not  yet  in  sight.  Australian  birds  are  flying  about  our 
ship,  unlike  any  we  have  yet  seen.  We  beat  up  against 
the  wind,  which  is  blowing  off  the  land,  our  yards  slewed 
right  round.  It  is  provoking  to  be  so  near  the  end  of 
our  voyage,  and  blown  back  when  almost  in  sight  of 
port. 

14M  May. —  After  four  days  of  contrary  wind,  it 
changed  again,  and  we  are  now  right  for  Melbourne. 
Our  last  theatrical  performance  came  off  with  great 
eclat.  The  captain  gave  his  parting  supper  after  the 
performance ;  and  the  menu  was  remarkable,  consider- 
ing that  we  had  been  out  eighty-one  days  from  Graves- 
end.  There  were  ducks,  fowls,  tongues,  hams,  with  lob- 
ster-salads, oyster  pattes,  jellies,  blanc-manges,  and  des- 
sert. Surely  the  art  of  preserving  fresh  meat  and  comes- 
tibles must  have  nearly  reached  perfection.  To  wind  up, 
songs  were  sung,  toasts  proposed,  and  the  captain's  testi- 
monial was  presented  amid  great  enthusiasm. 

18£A  May. — We  sighted  the  Australian  land  to-day 
about  thirteen  miles  off  Cape  Otway.  The  excitement 
on  board  was  very  great ;  and  no  wonder,  after  so  long 
a  voyage.  Some  were  going  home  there  to  rejoin  their 
families,  relatives,  and  friends.  Others  were  going  there 
for  pleasure  or  for  health.  Perhaps  the  greater  number 
regarded  it  as  the  land  of  their  choice — a  sort  of  prom- 
ised land — where  they  were  to  make  for  themselves  a 
home,  and  hoped  to  carve  out  for  themselves  a  road  to 
competency,  if  not  to  fortune. 

We  gradually  neared  the  land  until  we  were  only 
about  five  miles  distant  from  it.  The  clouds  lay  low  on 
the  sandy  shore,  the  dark  green  scrub  here  and  there 


N EARING  A  USTRALIA— THE  LANDING.  Q  3 

reaching  down  almost  to  the  water's  edge.  The  coast  is 
finely  undulating,  hilly  in  s*ome  places,  and  well  wooded. 
Again  we  beat  off  the  land  to  round  Cape  Otway,  whose 
light  we  see.  Early  next  morning  we  signal  the  light- 
house, and  the  news  of  our  approaching  arrival  will  be 
forthwith  telegraphed  to  Melbourne.  The  wind,  how- 
ever, dies  away  when  we  are  only  about  thirty  miles  from 
Port  Phillip  Heads,  and  there  we  lie  idly  becalmed  the 
whole  afternoon,  the  ship  gently  rolling  in  the  light  blue 
water,  the  sails  flapping  against  the  masts,  or  occasional- 
ly drawing  half  full,  with  a  fitful  puff  of  wind.  Our 
only  occupation  was  to  watch  the  shore,  and  with  the 
help  of  the  telescope  we  could  make  out  little  wooden 
huts  half  hidden  in  the  trees,  amid  patches  of  cultivated 
land.  As  the  red  sun  set  over  the  dark  green  hills,  there 
sprang  up  the  welcome  evening  breeze,  which  again  filled 
our  canvas,  and  the  wavelets  licked  the  ship's  sides  as 
she  yielded  to  the  wind,  and  at  last  sped  us  on  to  Port 
Phillip. 

At  midnight  we  are  in  sight  of  the  light  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Bay.  Then  we  are  taken  in  tow  by  a  tug 
up  to  the  Heads,  where  we  wait  until  sunrise  for  our  pi- 
lot to  come  on  board.  The  Heads  are  low  necks  of 
sandy  hillocks,  one  within  another,  that  guard  the  en- 
trance to  the  extensive  bay  of  Port  Phillip.  On  one  side 
is  Point  Lonsdale,  and  on  the  other  Point -Nepean. 

21s£  May. — Our  pilot  comes  on  board  early,  and  takes 
our  ship  in  charge.  He  is  a  curious-looking  object,  more 
like  a  Jew  bailiff  than  any  thing  else  I  can  think  of,  and 
very  unlike  an  English  "  salt."  But  the  man  seems  to 
know  his  work,  and  away  we  go,  tugged  by  our  steamer. 

A  little  inside  the  Heads  we  are  boarded  by  the  quar- 


64  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

antine  officer,  who  inquires  as  to  the  health  of  the  ship, 
which  is  satisfactory,  and  we  proceed  up  the  Bay.  Short- 
ly after,  we  pass,  on  the  west,  Queenscliffe,  a  pretty  vil- 
lage built  on  a  bit  of  abrupt  headland,  the  houses  of 
which  dot  the  greensward.  The  village  church  is  a 
pleasant  object  in  the  landscape.  We  curiously  spy  the 
land  as  we  pass.  By  the  help  of  the  telescope  we  can 
see  signs  of  life  on  shore.  We  observe,  among  other 
things,  an  early  tradesman's  cart,  drawn  by  a  fast-trotting 
pony,  driving  along  the  road.  More  dwellings  appear 
amid  a  pretty,  well  cultivated,  rolling  landscape. 

At  length  we  lose  sight  of  the  shore,  proceeding  up 
the  Bay  toward  Melbourne,  which  is  nearly  some  thirty 
miles  distant,  and  still  below  the  horizon.  Sailing  on, 
the  tops  of  trees  rise  up ;  then  low  banks  of  sand,  flat 
tracts  of  bush,  and,  slightly  elevated  above  them,  occa- 
sional tracts  of  clear  yellow  space.  Gradually  rising  up 
in  the  west,  distant  hills  come  in  sight ;  and  toward  the 
north  an  undulating  region  is  descried  stretching  round 
the  Bay  inland. 

We  now  near  the  northern  shore,  and  begin  to  perceive 
houses,  and  ships,  and  spires.  The  port  of  Williamstown 
comes  in  sight,  full  of  shipping,  as  appears  by  the  crowd 
of  masts.  Outside  of  it  is  Her  Majesty's  ship  "  Nelson" 
lying  at  anchor.  On  the  right  is  the  village  or  suburb 
of  St.  Kilda,  and  still  farther  round  is  Brighton.  Sand- 
ridge,  the  landing-place  of  Melbourne,  lies  right  ahead 
of  us,  and  over  the  masts  of  shipping  we  are  pointed  to 
a  mass  of  houses  in  the  distance,  tipped  with  spires  and 
towers,  and  are  told, "  There  is  the  city  of  Melbourne !" 

At  5  J*.M.  we  were  alongside  the  large  wooden  railway 
pier  of  Sandridge,  and  soon  many  of  our  fellowvpassen- 


NEARING  AUSTRALIA.— THE  LANDING.  55 

gers  were  in  the  arms  of  their  friends  and  relative?. 
Others,  of  whom  I  was  one,  had  none  to  welcome  us ; 
but,  like  the  rest,  I  took  my  ticket  for  Melbourne,  only 
some  three  miles  distant,  and  in  the  course  of  another 
quarter  of  an  hour  I  found  myself  safely  landed  in  the 
great  city  of  the  Antipodes. 


66 


-ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


t  m 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MELBOUENE. 

First  Impressions  of  Melbourne. — Survey  of  the  City. — The  Streets. — 
Collins  Street. — The  Traffic. — Newness  and  Youngness  of  Melbourne. 
— Absence  of  Beggars.  —  Melbourne  an  English  City.  —  The  Chinese 
Quarter. — The  Public  Library. — Pentridge  Prison. — The  Yarra  Eiver. 
— St.  Kilda. — Social  Experiences  in  Melbourne. — A  Marriage  Ball. — 
Melbourne  Ladies. — Visit  to  a  Serious  Family. 

I  AEEIVE  in  Melbourne  toward  evening,  and,  on  step- 
ping out  of  the  railway  train,  find  myself  amid  a  glare  of 
gas-lamps.  Outside  the  station  the  streets  are  all  lit  up, 
the  shops  are  brilliant  with  light,  and  well-dressed  peo- 
ple are  moving  briskly  about. 

What  is  this  large  building  in  Bourke  Street,  with  the 


MELBOURNE.  Q^ 

crowd  standing  about  ?  It  is  the  Royal  Theatre.  A 
large  stone-faced  hall  inside  the  portico,  surrounded  by 
bars  brilliantly  lit,  is  filled  with  young  men  in  groups 
lounging  about,  talking  and  laughing.  At  the  farther 
end  of  the  vestibule  are  the  entrances  to  the  different 
parts  of  the  house. 

Farther  up  the  same  street  I  come  upon  a  large  mar- 
ket-place, in  a  blaze  of  light,  where  crowds  of  people  are 
moving  about,  buying  vegetables,  fruit,  meat,  and  such 
like.  At  the  farther  end  of  the  street  the  din  and  bustle 
are  less,  and  I  see  a  large  structure  standing  in  an  open 
space,  looking  black  against  the  starlit  sky.  I  afterward 
find  that  it  is  the  Parliament  House. 

Such  is  my  first  introduction  to  Melbourne.  It  is  evi- 
dently a  place  stirring  with  life.  After  strolling  through 
some  of  the  larger  streets,  and  every  where  observing  the 
same  indications  of  wealth,  and  traffic,  and  population,  I 
took  the  train  for  Sandridge,  and  slept  a  good  sound 
sleep  in  my  bunk  on  board  the  "Yorkshire"  for  the  last 
time. 

Next  morning  I  returned  to  Melbourne  in  the  broad 
daylight,  when  I  was  able  to  take  a  more  deliberate  sur- 
vey of  the  city.  I  was  struck  by  the  width  and  regular- 
ity of  some  of  the  larger  streets,  and  by  the  admirable 
manner  in  which  they  are  paved  and  kept.  The  whole 
town  seems  to  have  been  laid  out  on  a  systematic  plan, 
which  some  might  think  even  too  regular  and  uniform. 
But  the  undulating  nature  of  the  ground  on  which  the 
city  is  built  serves  to  correct  this  defect,  if  defect  it  be. 

The  streets  are  mostly  laid  out  at  right  angles ;  broad 
streets  one  way,  and  alternate  broad  and  narrow  streets 
crossing  them.  Collins  and  Bourke  Streets  are  perhaps 


(38  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

the  iinest.  The  view  from  the  high  ground  at  one  end 
of  Collins  Street,  looking  down  the  hollow  of  the  road, 
and  right  away  up  the  hill  on  the  other  side,  is  very 
striking.  This  grand  street,  of  great  width,  is  probably 
not  less  than  a  mile  long.  On  either  side  are  the  princi- 
pal bank  buildings,  tall  and  handsome.  Just  a  little  way 
up  the  hill,  on  the  farther  side,  is  a  magnificent  white 
palace-like  structure,  with  a  richly  ornamented  fa9ade 
and  tower.  This  is  the  new  Town  Hall.  Higher  up  is 
a  fine  church  spire,  and  beyond  it  a  red  brick  tower, 
pricked  out  wTith  yellow,  standing  in  bold  relief  against 
the  clear  blue  sky.  You  can  just  see  Bourke  and  Wills' 
monument  there,  in  the  centre  of  the  roadway ;  and  at 
the  very  end  of  the  perspective,  the  handsome  gray  front 
of  the  Treasury  bounds  the  view. 

Among  the  peculiarities  of  the  Melbourne  streets  are 
the  deep,  broad  stone  gutters  on  either  side  of  the  road- 
way, evidently  intended  for  the  passage  of  a  very  large 
quantity  of  water  in  the  rainy  season.  They  are  so  broad 
as  to  render  it  necessary  to  throw  little  wooden  bridges 
over  them  at  the  street-crossings.  I  was  told  that  these 
open  bridges  are  considered  by  no  means  promotive  of 
the  health  of  the  inhabitants,  which  one  can  readily  be- 
lieve ;  and  it  is  probable  that  before  long  they  will  be 
covered  up. 

Walk  over  Collins  and  Bourke  Street  at  nine  or  ten  in 
the  morning,  and  you  meet  the  business  men  of  Mel- 
bourne on  their  way  from  the  railway  station  to  their  of- 
fices in  town ;  for  the  great  number  of  them,  as  in  Lon- 
don, live  in  the  suburbs.  The  shops  are  all  open,  every 
thing  looking  bright  and  clean.  Pass  along  the  same 
streets  in  the  afternoon,  and  you  will  find  gayly-dressed 


MELBOURNE.  QQ 

ladies  flocking  the  pathways.  The  shops  are  bustling 
with  customers.  There  are  many  private  carriages  to  be 
seen,  with  two-wheeled  cars,  on  which  the  passengers  sit 
back  to  back,  these  (with  the  omnibuses)  being  the  pub- 
lic conveyances  of  Melbourne.  Collins  Street  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  favorite  promenade,  more  particularly  be- 
tween three  and  four  in  the  afternoon,  when  shopping  is 
merely  the  excuse  of  its  numerous  fashionable  frequent- 
ers. 

One  thing  struck  me  especially — the  very  few  old  or 
gray-haired  people  one  meets  with  in  the  streets  of  Mel- 
bourne. They  are  mostly  young  people ;  and  there  are 
comparatively  few  who  have  got  beyond  the  middle 
stage  of  life.  And  no  wonder.  For  how  young  a  city 
Melbourne  is !  Forty  years  since  there  was  not  a  house 
in  the  place. 

Where  the  Melbourne  University  now  stands,  a  few 
miserable  Australian  blacks  would  meet  and  hold  a  cor- 
roboree ;  but,  except  it  might  be  a  refugee  bushranger 
from  Sydney,  there  was  not  a  white  man  in  all  Victoria. 
The  first  settler,  John  Batman,*  arrived  in  the  harbor  of 
Port  Phillip  as  recently  as  the  year  1835,  since  which 
time  the  colony  has  been  planted,  the  city  of  Melbourne 
has  been  built,  and  Victoria  covered  with  farms,  mines, 
towns,  and  people.  When  Sir  Thomas  Mitchell  first 
visited  the  colony  in  1836,  though  comprehending  an 
area  of  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  square  miles,  it 
did  not  contain  200  white  people.  In  1845  the  popula- 

*  Mr.  Batman  died  in  September,  1869,  at  the  age  of  77,  and  his  funer- 
al was  one  of  the  largest  ever  seen  in  Melbourne.  This  "  father  of  Mel- 
bourne" kept  the  first  store,  and  published  the  first  newspaper  in  the  set- 
tlement. ' 


70  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

tion  had  grown  to  32,000  ;  Melbourne  had  been  found- 
ed, and  was  beginning  to  grow  rapidly ;  now  it  contains 
a  population  of  about  200,000  souls,  and  is  already  the 
greatest  city  in  the  southern  hemisphere. 

No  wonder,  therefore,  that  the  population  of  Mel- 
bourne should  be  young.  It  consists,  for  the  most  part, 
of  immigrants  from  Great  Britain  and  other  countries — 
of  men  and  women  in  the  prime  of  life — pushing,  enter- 
prising, energetic  people.  Nor  is  the  stream  of  immi- 
gration likely  to  stop  soon.  The  land  in  the  interior  is 
not  one  tenth  part  occupied,  and  "  the  cry  is  still  they 
come."  Indeed,  many  think  the  immigrants  do  not 
come  quickly  enough.  Every  ship  brings  a  fresh  batch ; 
and  the  "new  chums"  may  be  readily  known,  as  they 
assemble  in  knots  at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  by  their 
ruddy  color,  their  gaping  curiosity,  and  their  home  looks. 

Another  thing  that  strikes  me  in  Melbourne  is  this — 
that  I  have  not  seen  a  beggar  in  the  place.  There  is 
work  for  every  body  who  will  work,  so  there  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  begging.  A  great  many  young  fellows  who 
come  out  here,  no  doubt,  do  not  meet  with  the  fortune 
they  think  they  deserve.  They  expected  that  a  few 
good  letters  of  introduction  were  all  that  was  necessary 
to  enable  them  to  succeed.  But  they  are  soon  unde- 
ceived. They  must  strip  to  work  if  they  would  do  any 
good.  Mere  clerks,  who  can  write  and  add  up  figures, 
are  of  no  use;  the  colony  is  overstocked  with  them. 
But  if  they  are  handy,  ready  to  work,  and  willing  to  turn 
their  hand  to  any  thing,  they  need  never  be  without  the 
means  of  honest  living. 

In  many  respects  Melbourne  is  very  like  home.  It 
looks  like  a  slice  of  England  transplanted  here,  only 


MELBOURNE.  ^ 

every  thing  looks  fresher  and  newer.  Go  into  Fitzroy 
or  Carlton  Gardens  in  the  morning,  and  you  will  see  al- 
most the  self -same  nurses  and  children  that  you  see  in 
the  Parks  in  Lqndon.  At  dusk  you  see  the  same  sort  of 
courting  couples  mooning  about,  not  knowing  what  next 
to  say.  In  the  streets  you  see  a  corps  of  rifle  volunteers 
marching  along,  just  as  at  home,  on  Saturday  afternoons. 
Down  at  Sandridge  you  see  the  cheap-trip  steamer,  deck- 
ed with  flags,  taking  a  boat-load  of  excursionists  down 
the  bay  to  some  Australian  Margate  or  Ramsgate.  On 
the  wooden  pier,  the  same  steam-cranes  are  at  work,  load- 
ing and  unloading  trucks. 

One  thing,  however,  there  is  at  Melbourne  that  you 
can  not  see  in  any  town  in  England,  and  that  is  the  Chi- 
nese Quarter.  There  the  streets  are  narrower  and  dirtier 
than  any  where  else,  and  you  see  the  yellow-faced  folks 
standing  jabbering  at  their  doors — a  very  novel  sight. 
The  Chinamen,  notwithstanding  the  poll-tax  originally 
imposed  on  them  of  £10  a  head,  have  come  into  Victoria 
in  large  and  increasing  numbers,  and  before  long  they 
threaten  to  become  a  great  power  in  the  colony.  They 
are  a  very  hard-working,  but,  it  must  be  confessed,  a 
very  low  class,  dirty  people. 

Though  many  of  the  Chinamen  give  up  their  native 
dress  and  adopt  the  European  costume,  more  particular- 
ly the  billycock  hat,  there -is  one  part  of  their  belongings 
that  they  do  not  part  with  even  in  the  last  extremity, 
and  that  is  their  tail.  They  may  hide  it  away  in  their 
billycock  or  in  the  collar  of  their  coat,  but,  depend  upon 
it,  the  tail  is  there.  My  friend,  the  doctor  of  the  "  York- 
shire," being  a  hunter  after  natural  curiosities,  had, 
among  other  things,  a  great  ambition  to  possess  himself 


72  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

of  a  Chinaman's  tail.  One  day,  walking  up  Collins 
Street,  I  met  my  enthusiastic  friend.  He  recognized 
me,  and  waved  something  about  frantically  that  he  had 
in  his  hand.  "I've  got  it!  I've  got  it!"  he  exclaimed, 
in  a  highly-excited  manner.  "What  have  you  got?"  I 
asked,  wondering.  "  Come  in  here,"  said  he,  "  and  I'll 
show  it  you."  We  turned  into  a  bar,  when  he  carefully 
undid  his  parcel,  and  exposed  to  view  a  long  black  thing. 
"What  is  it?"  I  asked.  "A  Chinaman's  pigtail,  of 
course,"  said  he,  triumphantly ;  "  and  a  very  rare  curiosi- 
ty it  is,  I  can  assure  you." 

Among  the  public  institutes  of  Melbourne,  one  of  the 
finest  is  the  Public  Library,  already  containing,  I  was 
told,  about  80,000  volumes.  It  is  really  a  Library  for 
the  People,  and  a  noble  one  too.  So  far  as  I  can  learn, 
there  is  nothing  yet  in  England  that  can  be  compared 
with  it.*  Working  men  come  here,  and  read  at  thjeir 
leisure  scientific  books,  historical  books,  or  whatever  they 
may  desire.  They  may  come  in  their  working  dress, 
signing  their  names  on  entering,  the  only  condition  re- 
quired of  them  being  quietness  and  good  behavior. 
About  five  hundred  readers  use  the  library  daily. 

Nor  must  I  forget  the  Victorian  collection  of  pictures, 
in  the  same  building  as  the  Public  Library.  The  gal- 
leries are  good,  and  contain  many  attractive  paintings. 
Among  them  I  noticed  Goodall's  "  Kachel  at  the  Well," 
Cope's  "  Pilgrim  Fathers"  (a  replica),  and  some  excellent 
specimens  of  Chevalier,  a  rising  colonial  artist. 

*  The  public  library  was  inaugurated  under  Mr.  La  Trobe's  government 
in  1 853,  when  £4000  was  voted  for  books  and  an  edifice.  The  sum  was 
doubled  in  the  following  year,  and  greatly  increased  in  succeeding  years. 
In  1863,  £40,000  of  public  money  had  been  expended  on  the  building,  and 
£30,000  on  the  library. 


MELBOURNE.  73 

The  Post-office  is  another  splendid  building,  one  of  the 
most  commodious  institutions  of  the  kind  in  the  world. 
There  the  arrival  of  each  mail  from  England  is  an- 
nounced by  the  hoisting  of  a  large  red  flag,  with  the  let- 
ter A  (arrival). 

In  evidence  of  the  advanced  "  civilization"  of  Mel- 
bourne, let  me  also  describe  a  visit  which  I  paid  to  its 
jail.  But  it  is  more  than  a  jail,  for  it  is  the  great  penal 
establishment  of  the  colony.  The  prison  at  Pentridge  is 
about  eight  miles  from  Melbourne.  Accompanied  by  a 
friend,  I  was  driven  thither  in  a  covered  car  along  a  very 
dusty  but  well-kept  road.  Alighting  at  the  castle-like 
entrance  to  the  principal  court-yard,  we  passed  through 
a  small  doorway,  behind  which  was  a  strong  iron-bar 
gate,  always  kept  locked,  and  watched  by  a  warder.  The 
gate  was  unlocked,  and  we  shortly  found  ourselves  in  the 
great  prison  area,  in  the  presence  of  sundry  men  in  gray 
prison  uniform  with  heavy  irons  on.  Passing  across  the 
large  clean  yard,  we  make  for  a  gate  in  the  high  granite 
wall  at  its  farther  side.  A  key  is  let  down  to  us  by  the 
warder,  who  is  keeping  armed  watch  in  his  sentry-box 
on  the  top  of  the  wall.  We  use  it,  let  ourselves  in,  lock 
the  door,  and  the  key  is  hauled  up  again. 

We  enter  the  female  prison,  where  we  are  shown  the 
cells,  each  with  its  small  table  and  neatly  -  folded  mat- 
tress. On  the  table  is  a  Bible  and  Prayer-book,  and 
sometimes  a  third  book  for  amusement  or  instruction. 
In  some  of  the  cells,  where  the  inmates  are  learning  to 
read  and  write,  there  is  a  spelling  primer  and  a  copy- 
book for  pothooks.  The  female  prisoners  are  not  in 
their  cells,  but  we  shortly  after  find  them  assembled  in  a 
large  room  above,  seated  and  at  work.  They  all  rose  at 

D 


74  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

our  entrance,  and  I  had  a  good  look  at  their  faces.  There 
was  not  a  single  decent,  honest  face  among  them.  They 
were  mostly  heavy,  square-jawed,  hard-looking  women. 
Judging  by  their  faces,  vice  and  ugliness  would  seem  to 
be  pretty  nearly  akin. 

"We  were  next  taken  to  the  centre  of  the  prison,  from 
which  we  looked  down  upon  the  narrow,  high-walled 
yards,  in  which  the  prisoners  condemned  to  solitary  con- 
finement take  their  exercise.  These  yards  all  radiate 
from  a  small  tower,  in  which  a  warder  is  stationed,  care- 
fully watching  the  proceedings  below. 

We  shortly  saw  the  prisoners  of  Department  A  com- 
ing in  from  their  exercise  in  the  yard.  Each  wore  a 
white  mask  on  his  face  with  eye-holes  in  it ;  and  no  pris- 
oner must  approach  another  nearer  than  five  yards,  at 
risk  of  severe  punishment.  The  procession  was  a  very 
dismal  one.  In  the  half-light  of  the  prison  they  march- 
ed silently  on  one  by  one,  with  their  faces  hidden,  each 
touching  his  cap  as  he  passed. 

Department  B  came  next.  The  men  here  do  not  work 
in  their  separate  cells  like  the  others,  but  go  out  to  work 
in  gangs,  guarded  by  armed  warders.  The  door  of  each 
cell  throughout  the  prison  has  a  small  hole  in  it,  through 
which  the  warders,  who  move  about  the  galleries  in  list 
shoes,  can  peep  in,  and,  unknown  to  the  prisoner,  see 
what  he  is  about. 

Both  male  and  female  prisons  have  Black  Holes  at- 
tached to  them  for  the  solitary  confinement  of  the  re- 
fractory. Dreadful  places  they  look :  small  cells  about 
ten  feet  by  four,  into  which  not  a  particle  of  light  is  ad- 
mitted. Three  thick  doors,  one  within  another,  render 
it  impossible  for  the  prisoner  inside  to  make  himself 
heard  without. 


MELBOURNE.  75 

Next  comes  Department  C,  in  which  the  men  finish 
their  time.  Here  many  sleep  in  one  room,  always  under 
strict  watch,  being  employed  during  the  day  at  their  re- 
spective trades,  or  going  out  in  gangs  to  work  in  the 
fields  connected  with  the  establishment.  Connected  with 
this  department  is  a  considerable  factory,  with  spinning 
machines,  weaving-frames,  and  dye- vats;  the  whole  of 
the  clothes  and  vats  used  in  the  jail  being  made  by  the 
prisoners,  as  well  as  the  blankets  supplied  by  the  govern- 
ment to  the  natives.  Adjoining  are  blacksmiths'  shops, 
where  manacles  are  forged ;  shoemakers'  shops ;  tailors' 
shops ;  a  bookbinder's  shop,  where  the  jail  books  are 
bound ;  and  shops  for  various  other  crafts. 

The  prison  library  is  very  well  furnished  with  books. 
Dickens's  and  Trollope's  works  are  there,  and  I  saw  a 
well-read  copy  of  "  Self -Help,"  though  it  was  doubtless 
through  a  very  different  sort  of  self-help  that  most  of  the 
prisoners  who  perused  it  had  got  there. 

Last  of  all,  we  saw  the  men  searched  on  coming  in 
from  their  work  in  the  fields  or  in  the  different  work- 
shops. They  all  stood  in  a  line  while  the  warder  passed 
his  hands  down  their  bodies  and  legs,  and  looked  into 
their  hats.  Then  he  turned  to  a  basin  of  water  standing 
by,  and  carefully  washed  his  hands. 

There  were  about  TOO  prisoners  of  both  sexes  in  the 
jail  when  we  visited  it.  I  was  told  that  the  walls  of 
the  prison  inclose  an  area  of  132  acres,  so  that  there  is 
abundance  of  space  for  all  kinds  of  work.  On  the  whole, 
it  was  a  very  interesting,  but,  at  the  same  time,  a  sad 
sight. 

I  think  very  little  of  the  River  Yarra  Yarra,  on  which 
Melbourne  is  situated.  It  is  a  muddy,  gray -colored 


76  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

stream,  very  unpicturesque.  It  has,  however,  one  great 
advantage  over  most  other  Australian  rivers,  as  indicated 
by  its  name,  which  in  the  native  language  means  the 
"  ever-flowing ;"  many  of  the  creeks  and  rivers  in  Aus- 
tralia being  dry  in  summer.  I  hired  a  boat  for  the  pur- 
pose of  a  row  up  the  Yarra.  A  little  above  the  city  its 
banks  are  pretty  and  ornamental,  especially  where  it 
passes  the  Botanic  Gardens,  which  are  beautifully  laid 
out,  and  well  stocked  with  India-rubber  plants,  gum- 
trees,  and  magnificent  specimens  of  the  Southern  fauna. 
Higher  up,  the  river — though  its  banks  continue  green 
—becomes  more  monotonous,  and  we  soon  dropped  back 
to  Melbourne  with  the  stream. 

It  is  the  sea-side  of  Melbourne  that  is  by  far  the  most 
interesting — Williamstown,  with  its  shipping ;  but  more 
especially  the  pretty  suburbs,  rapidly  growing  into  towns, 
along  the  shores  of  the  Bay  of  Port  Phillip,  such  as  St. 
Kilda,  Elsternwick,  Brighton,  and  Cheltenham.  You  see 
how  they  preserve  the  old  country  names.  St.  Kilda  is 
the  nearest  to  Melbourne,  being  only  about  three  miles 
distant  by  rail,  and  it  is  the  favorite  resort  of  the  Mel- 
bourne people.  Indeed,  many  of  the  first-class  business 
men  reside  there,  just  as  Londoners  do  at  Blackheath  and 
Forest  Hill.  The  esplanade  along  the  beach  is  a  fine 
promenade,  and  the  bathing  along  shore  is  exceedingly 
good.  There  are  large  inclosures  for  the  bathers,  sur- 
rounded by  wooden  piles ;  above  the  inclosure,  raised 
high  on  platforms,  are  commodious  dressing-rooms, 
where,  instead  of  being  cooped  up  in  an  uncomfortable 
bathing  machine,  you  may  have  a  lounge  outside  in  the 
bright  sunshine  while  you  dress.  The  water  is  a  clear 
blue,  and  there  is  a  sandy  bottom  sloping  down  from  the 


MELBOURNE.  77 

shore  into  any  depth — a  glorious  opportunity  for  swim- 
mers ! 

I  must  now  tell  you  something  of  my  social  experien- 
ces in  Melbourne.  Thanks  to  friends  at  home,  I  had 
been  plentifully  supplied  with  letters  of  introduction  to 
people  in  the  colony.  When  I  spoke  of  these  to  old  co- 
lonials in  the  "  Yorkshire,"  I  was  told  that  they  were  "  no 
good" — no  better  than  so  many  "  tickets  for  soup,"  if 
worth  even  that.  I  was,  therefore,  quite  prepared  for  a 
cool  reception,  but  nevertheless  took  the  opportunity  of 
delivering  my  letters  shortly  after  landing. 

So  far  from  being  received  with  coldness,  I  was  re- 
ceived with  the  greatest  kindness  wherever  I  went.  Peo- 
ple who  had  never  seen  me  before,  and  who  knew  noth- 
ing of  me  or  my  family,  gave  me  a  welcome  that  was 
genuine,  frank,  and  hearty  in  the  extreme.  My  letters, 
I  found,  were  far  more  than  "  tickets  for  soup."  They 
introduced  me  to  pleasant  companions  and  kind  friends, 
who  entertained  me  hospitably,  enabled  me  to  pass  my 
time  pleasantly,  and  gave  me  much  practical  good  ad- 
vice. Indeed,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  the  hospital- 
ity of  Yictoria  ought  to  become  proverbial. 

One  of  the  first  visits  I  made  was  to  a  recent  school- 
fellow of  mine  at  Geneva.  I  found  him  at  work  in  a 
bank,  and  astonished  him  very  much  by  the  suddenness 
of  my  appearance.  He  was  most  kind  to  me  during  my 
stay  in  Melbourne,  as  well  as  his  family,  to  whom  I  owed 
a  succession  of  kindnesses  which  I  can  never  forget. 

I  shall  always  retain  a  pleasant  recollection  of  a  mar- 
riage festivity  to  which  I  was  invited  within  a  week  aft- 
er my  arrival.  A  ball  was  given  in  the  evening,  at  which 
about  300  persons  were  present — the  elite  of  Melbourne 


Y8  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

society.  It  was  held  in  a  large  marquee,  with  a  splendid 
floor,  and  ample  space  for  dancing.  Every  thing  was 
ordered  very  much  the  same  as  at  home.  The  dresses  of 
the  ladies  seemed  more  costly ;  the  music  was  probably 
not  so  good,  though  very  fair,  and  the  supper  rather  bet- 
ter. I  fancy  there  was  no  "  contract  Champagne"  at  that 
ball. 

One  thing  I  must  remark  about  the  ladies — they  seem- 
ed to  me  somehow  a  little  different  in  appearance.  In- 
deed, when  I  first  landed,  I  fancied  I  saw  a  slightly  worn 
look,  a  want  of  freshness,  in  the  people  generally.  They 
told  me  there  that  it  is  the  effect  of  the  dry  Australian 
climate  and  the  long  summer  heat,  native-born  Austra- 
lians having  a  tendency  to  grow  thin  and  lathy.  Not 
that  there  was  any  want  of  beauty  about  the  Melbourne 
girls,  or  that  they  were  not  up  to  the  mark  in  personal 
appearance.  On  the  contrary,  there  was  quite  a  bevy  of 
belles,  some  of  them  extremely  pretty  girls,  most  taste- 
fully dressed,  and  I  thought  the  twelve  bridemaids,  in 
white  silk  trimmed  with  blue,  looked  charming. 

I  spent  a  very  pleasant  evening  with  this  gay  company, 
and  had  my  fill  of  dancing  after  my  long  privation  at 
sea.  When  I  began  to  step  out  the  room  seemed  to  be 
in  motion.  I  had  got  so  accustomed  to  the  roll  of  the 
ship  that  I  still  felt  unsteady,  and  when  I  put  my  foot 
down  it  went  farther  than  I  expected  before  it  touched 
the  floor.  But  I  soon  got  quit  of  my  sea-legs,  which  I 
had  so  much  difficulty  in  finding. 

Before  concluding  my  few  Melbourne  experiences,  I 
will  mention  another  of  a  very  different  character  from 
the  above.  I  was  invited  to  spend  the  following  Satur- 
day and  Sunday  with  a  gentleman  and  his  family.  I 


MELBOURNE.  79 

was  punctual  to  my  appointment,  and  was  driven  by  my 
carman  up  to  the  door  of  a  new  house  in  a  very  pretty 
situation.  I  was  shown  into  the  drawing-room,  where  I 
waited  some  time  for  the  mistress  of  the  house  to  make 
her  appearance.  She  was  a  matronly  person,  with  a 
bland  smile  on  her  countenance.  Her  dress  was  of  a 
uniform  gray,  with  trimmings  of  the  same  color.  We 
tried  conversation,  but  somehow  it  failed.  I  fear  my  re- 
marks were  more  meaningless  than  usual  on  such  occa- 
sions. Certainly  the  lady  and  I  did  not  hit  it  at  all.  She 
asked  me  if  I  had  heard  such  and  such  a  Scotch  minis- 
ter, or  had  read  somebody's  sermons  which  she  named. 
Alas !  I  had  not  so  much  as  heard  of  their  names.  Judg- 
ing by  her  looks,  she  must  have  thought  me  an  ignora- 
mus. For  a  mortal  hour  we  sat  together,  almost  in  si- 
lence, her  eyes  occasionally  directed  full  upon  me.  We 
were  for  the  moment  relieved  by  the  entrance  of  a  young 
lady,  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  house,  who  was  intro- 
duced to  me.  But,  alas !  we  got  on  no  better  than  be- 
fore. The  young  lady  sat  with  downcast  eyes,  intent 
upon  her  knitting,  though  I  saw  that  her  eyes  were  black, 
and  that  she  was  pretty. 

Then  the  master  of  the  house  came  home,  and  we  had 
dinner  in  a  quiet,  sober  fashion.  In  the  evening  the  lady 
and  I  made  a  few  farther  efforts  at  conversation.  I  was 
looking  at  the  books  on  the  drawing-room  table,  when 
she  all  at  once  brightened  up,  and  asked, "  Have  you 
ever  heard  of  Kobbie  Burns  ?"  I  answered  (I  fear  rath- 
er chaffingly)  that  "  I  had  once  heard  there  was  such  a 
person."  "  Have  you,  though  ?"  said  the  lady,  relapsing 
into  crochet.  The  gentleman  went  off  to  sleep,  and  the 
young  lady  continued  absorbed  in  her  knitting.  A  little 


80  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

later  in  the  evening  the  hostess  made  a  farther  effort. 
"  Have  you  ever  tasted  whisky  toddy  ?"  To  which  I  an- 
swered, "  Yes,  once  or  twice,"  at  which  she  seemed  aston- 
ished. But  the  whisky  toddy,  which  might  have  put  a 
little  spirit  into  the  evening,  did  not  make  its  appearance. 
The  subject  of  the  recent  marriage  festivity  having  come 
up,  the  lady  was  amazed  to  find  I  had  been  there,  and 
that  I  was  fond  of  dancing !  I  fear  this  sent  me  down 
a  great  many  more  pegs  in  her  estimation.  In  fact,  my 
evening  was  a  total  failure,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  to  bed 
— though  it  was  an  immense  expanse  of  bed,  big  enough 
for  a  dozen  people. 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  next  morning  I  went  with 
the  family  to  "  the  kirk,"  heard  an  awfully  long  sermon, 
during  which  I  nipped  my  fingers  to  keep  myself  awake; 
and  as  soon  as  I  could  I  made  my  escape  back  to  my 
lodgings,  very  well  pleased  to  get  away,  but  feeling  that 
I  must  have  left  a  very  unfavorable  impression  upon  the 
minds  of  my  worthy  entertainers. 


UP-COUNTRY.  81 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

UP-COUNTEY. 

Obtain  a  Situation  in  an  Up-country  Bank. — Journey  by  Rail.— Castle- 
maine. — Farther  Journey  by  Coach. — Maryborough. — First  Sight  of 
the  Bush. — The  Bush  Tracks. — Evening  Prospect  over  the  Country. 
— Arrival  at  my  Destination. 

I  HAD  now  been  in  Melbourne  some  weeks,  and  the 
question  arose, What  next?  I  found  the  living  rather 
expensive,  and  that  it  was  making  a  heavy  drain  upon 
my  funds.  I  had  the  option  of  a  passage  home,  or  of 
staying  in  the  colony  if  I  could  find  some  employment 
wherewith  to  occupy  myself  profitably  in  the  mean  while. 
But  I  could  not  remain  much  longer  idle,  merely  going 
about  visiting  and  enjoying  myself. 

I  took  an  opportunity  of  consulting  the  eminent  physi- 
cian, Dr.  Halford,  who  pronounced  my  lungs  sound,  but 
recommended  me,  because  of  the  sudden  changes  of 
temperature  to  which  Melbourne  is  liable,  either  to  re- 
turn home  immediately,  in  order  to  establish  the  benefit 
I  had  derived  from  the  voyage,  or,  -if  I  remained,  to  pro- 
ceed up-country,  north  of  the  Dividing  Range,  where  the 
temperature  is  more  equable. 

I  accordingly  determined  to  make  the  attempt  to  ob- 
tain some  settled  employment  in  the  colony  that  might 
enable  me  to  remain  in  it  a  little  longer.  I  found  that 
there  were  many  fellows,  older  and  more  experienced 
than  myself,  who  had  been  knocking  about  Melbourne 

D  2 


82  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

for  some  time,  unable  to  find  berths.  It  is  quite  natural 
that  the  young  men  of  the  colony,  desirous  of  entering 
merchants'  houses,  banks,  or  insurance  offices,  should 
have  the  preference  over  new  comers,  and  hence  those 
young  men  who  come  here,  expecting  to  drop  into  clerks' 
offices,  soon  find  themselves  de  trop,  and  that  they  are  a 
drug  in  the  market. 

The  prospect  of  obtaining  such  employment  in  my 
own  case  did  not,  therefore,  look  very  bright ;  yet  I  could 
but  try  and  fail,  as  others  had  done.  In  the  last  event 
there  was  the  passage  home,  of  which  I  could  avail  my- 
self. Well,  I  tried,  and  tried  again,  and  at  last  succeeded, 
thanks  to  the  friendly  gentlemen  in  Melbourne  who  so 
kindly  interested  themselves  in  my  behalf.  In  my  case 
luck  must  have  helped  me,  for  I  am  sure  I  did  not  owe 
my  success  to  any  special  knowledge.  But  happy  I  was 
when,  after  a  great  deal  of  running  about,  it  was  at 
length  communicated  to  me  that  there  was  a  vacancy  in 
an  up-country  branch  of  one  of  the  principal  colonial 
banking  companies  which  was  open  to  my  acceptance. 

•I  took  the  position  at  once,  and  made  my  arrange- 
ments for  starting  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  the  office 
forthwith.  I  of  course  knew  nothing  of  the  country  in 
which  the  branch  bank  was  situated,  excepting  that  it 
was  in  what  is  called  a  digging  township — that  is,  a 
township  in  which  digging  for  gold  is  the  principal 
branch  of  industry.  When  I  told  my  companions  what 
occupation  I  had  before  me,  and  where  I  was  going,  they 
tried  to  frighten  me.  They  pictured  to  me  a  remote 
place,  with  a .  few  huts  standing  on  a  gravelly  hill,  sur- 
rounded by  holes  and  pools  of  mud.  "A  wretched  life 
you  will  lead  up  there,"  they  said  ;  "  depend  upon  it,  you 


'ckisS°c7e" 

**•**,,***•        .^-^a**!, 

G-t'suorne 
Baccliuf 


MAP  OP  THE  GOLD-MINING   DISTRICT,  VICTORIA. 


84  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

will  never  be  able  to  bear  it,  and  we  shall  see  you  back 
in  Melbourne  within  a  month,  disgusted  with  up-country 
life."  "  Well,  we  shall  see,"  I  said :  "  I  am  resolved  to 
give  it  a  fair  trial,  and,  in  the  worst  event,  I  can  go  home 
by  the  next  Money  Wigram." 

After  the  lapse  of  two  days  from  the  date  of  my  ap- 
pointment, I  was  at  the  Spencer-Street  Station  of  the 
Victoria  Railway,  and  booked  for  Castlemaine,  a  station 
about  eighty  miles  from  Melbourne.  Two  of  my  fellow- 
passengers  by  the  "  Yorkshire"  were  there  to  see  me  off, 
wishing  me  all  manner  of  kind  things.  Another  part- 
ing, and  I  was  off  up-country.  What  would  it  be  like  ? 
What  sort  of  people  were  they  among  whom  I  was  to 
live  ?  What  were  to  be  my  next  experiences  ? 

We  sped  rapidly  over  the  flat,  lowly  undulating,  and 
comparatively  monotonous  country  north  of  Melbourne 
until  we  reached  the  Dividing  Range,  a  mountainous 
chain  covered  with  dark  green  scrub,  separating  Bourke 
from  Dalhousie  County,  where  the  scenery  became  more 
varied  and  interesting. 

In  the  railway  carriage  with  me  was  a  boy  of  about 
twelve  or  fourteen,  who  at  once  detected  in  me  a  "  new 
chum,"  as  recent  arrivals  in  the  colony  are  called.  We 
entered  into  conversation,  when  I  found  he'  was  going  to 
Castlemaine,  where  he  lived.  He  described  it  as  a  large 
up-country  town,  second  only  to  Ballarat  and  Melbourne. 
But  I  was  soon  about  to  see  the  place  with  my  own  eyes, 
for  we  were  already  approaching  it ;  and  before  long  1 
was  set  down  at  the  Castlemaine  Station,  from  whence  I 
was  to  proceed  to  my  destination  by  coach. 

The  town  of  Castlemaine  by  no  means  came  up  to  the 
description  of  my  traveling  companion.  Perhaps  I  had 


UP- COUNTRY.  85 

expected  too  much,  and  was  disappointed.  The  place  is 
built  on  the  site  of  what  was  once  a 'very  great  rush, 
called  Forest  Creek.  Gold  was  found  in  considerable 
abundance,  and  attracted  a  vast  population  into  the 
neighborhood.  But  other  and  richer  fields  having  been 
discovered,  the  rush  went  elsewhere,  leaving  behind  it 
the  deposit  of  houses  now  known  as  Castlemaine.*  It 
contains  but  few  streets,  and  those  not  very  good  ones. 
The  houses  are  mostly  small  and  low ;  the  greater  num- 
ber are  only  one-storied  erections.  Every  thing  was 
quiet,  with  very  little  traffic  going  on,  arid  the  streets 
had  a  most  dead-alive  look. 

The  outskirts  of  the  town  presented  a  novel  appear- 
ance. Small  heaps  of  gravelly  soil,  of  a  light  red  color, 
lying  close  to  each  other,  covered  the  ground  in  all  direc- 
tions almost  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The  whole 
country  seemed  to  have  been  turned  over,  dug  about,  and 
abandoned ;  though  I  still  observed  here  and  there  pools 
of  red  muddy  water,  and  a  few  men  digging,  searching 
for  gold  among  the  old  workings. 

I  put  up  at  one  of  the  hotels,  to  wait  there  until  the 
coach  started  at  midnight.  The  place  was  very  dull, 
the  streets  were  very  dull,  and  every  body  seemed  to 
have  gone  to  bed.  At  length  the  hours  passed  and  the 
coach  drew  up.  It  was  an  odd-looking  vehicle,  drawn 
by  four  horses.  The  body  was  simply  hung  on  by 
straps  innocent  of  springs.  There  were  no  windows  to 
the  carriage,  but  only  leather  aprons  in  their  place. 
This  looked  rather  like  rough  traveling. 

Away  we  went  at  last,  at  a  good  pace,  over  a  tolera- 

*  Before  railways  were  introduced,  the  town  was  a  great  ddpot  for  goods 
going  up-country  to  the  different  diggings. 


86  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

bly  good  road.  Soon,  however,  we  began  to  jolt  and 
pitch  about,  the  carriage  rolling  and  rocking  from  side 
to  side.  There  was  only  one  passenger  besides  myself,  a 
solitary  female,  who  sat  opposite  to  me.  I  held  on  tight 
to  the  wood- work  of  the  coach,  but,  notwithstanding  all 
my  efforts,  I  got  pitched  into  the  lady's  lap  more  than 
once.  She  seemed  to  take  it  all  very  coolly,  however, 
as  if  it  were  a  mere  matter  of  course. 

After  changing  horses  twice,  and  after  a  good  deal 
more  jolting,  the  road  became  better  and  smoother; 
and  then  I  observed,  from  the  signs  outside,  that  we 
were  approaching  a  considerable  place.  I  was  told  that 
it  was  Maryborough,  and  shortly  after  the  coach  pulled 
up  at  the  door  of  a  hotel,  and  I  alighted.  It  was  now 
between  four  and  five  in  the  morning,  so  I  turned  into 
bed  and  had  a  sound  sleep. 

I  was  wakened  up  by  a  young  gentleman,  who  intro- 
duced himself  to  me  as  one  of  my  future  "  camarades" 
in  the  bank,  to  whom  my  arrival  had  been  telegraphed. 
After  making  a  good  breakfast,  I  stepped  on  to  the  ve- 
randa in  front  of  the  hotel,  and  the  high  street  of  Mary- 
borough lay  before  me.  It  seemed  a  nice,  tidy  town. 
The  streets  were  white  and  clean ;  the  shops,  now  open, 
were  some  of  brick,  and  others  of  wood.  The  hotel  in 
which  I  had  slept  was  a  two  -  storied  brick  building. 
Two  banks  were  in  the  main  street,  one  of  them  a  good 
building.  Every  thing  looked  spic-and-span  new,  very 
unlike  our  old-fashioned  English  country  towns. 

The  township  to  which  I  was  destined  being  distant 
about  six  miles  from  Maryborough,  I  was  driven  thither 
in  the  evening,  full  of  wonderment  and  curiosity  as  to 
the  place  to  which  I  was  bound.  As  we  got  outside 


UP-COUNTMY.  87 

Maryborough  into  the  open  country,  its  appearance 
struck  me  very  much.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  been 
among  the  gum-trees,  which  grow  so  freely  in  all  the 
southern  parts  of  Australia. 

For  a  short  distance  out  of  the  town  the  road  was  a 
made  one,  passing  through  some  old  workings,  shown 
by  the  big  holes  and  heaps  of  gravel  that  lay  about. 
Farther  on  it  became  a  mere  hardened  track,  through 
among  trees  and  bushes,  each  driver  choosing  his  own 
track.  As  soon  as  one  becomes  the  worse  for  wear,  and 
the  ruts  in  it  are  worn  too  deep,  a  new  one  is  selected. 
Some  of  these  old  ruts  have  a  very  ugly  look.  Occa- 
sionally we  pass  a  cottage  with  a  garden,  but  no  village 
is  in  sight.  The  brown  trees  have  a  forlorn  look ;  the 
pointed  leaves  seem  hardly  to  cover  them.  The  bushes, 
too,  that  grow  by  the  road-side,  seem  straggling  and 
scraggy;  but  then  I  must  remember  that  it  is  winter 
time  in  Australia. 

At  length  we  reach  the  top  of  a  hill,  from  which 
there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  country  beyond.  I  have  a 
vivid  recollection  of  my  first  glimpse  of  a  landscape 
which  afterward  became  so  familiar  to  me.  The  dark 
green  trees  stretched  down  into  the  valley  and  clothed 
the  undulating  ground  which  lay  toward  the  right. 
Then,  on  the  greener  and  flatter  -  looking  country  in 
front,  there  seemed  to  extend  a  sort  of  whitish  line — 
something  that  I  could  not  quite  make  out.  At  first  I 
thought  it  must  be  a  town  in  the  distance,  with  its 
large  white  houses.  In  the  blue  of  the  evening  I  could 
not  then  discern  that  what  I  took  to  be  houses  were 
simply  heaps  of  pipe-clay.  Farther  off,  and  beyond  all, 
was  a  background  of  brown  hills,  fading  away  in  the 


88  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

distance.  Though  it  was  winter  time,  the  air  was  bright 
and  clear,  and  the  blue  sky  was  speckled  with  fleecy 
clouds. 

But  we  soon  lose  sight  of  the  distant  scene  as  we  rat- 
tle along  through  the  dust  down  hill.  We  reach  anoth- 
er piece  of  made  road,  indicating  our  approach  to  a 
town,  and  very  shortly  we  arrive  at  a  small  township 
close  by  a  creek.  We  pass  a  shed  in  which  stampers  are 
at  work,  driven  by  steam — it  is  a  quartz  mill ;  then  a 
blacksmith's  shop ;  then  a  hotel,  and  other  houses.  I 
supposed  this  was  to  be  my  location ;  but  no !  The 
driver  turns  sharp  off  the  high  road  down  toward  the 
creek.  It  is  a  narrow  stream  of  dirty-colored  water, 
trickling  along  between  two  high  banks.  We  drive 
down  the  steep  on  one  side  and  up  the  other  with  a  tre- 
mendous pull,  the  buggy  leaning  heavily  to  one  side. 
On  again,  over  a  crab-holey  plain,  taking  care  to  avoid 
the  stumps  of  trees  and  bad  ground.  Now  we  are  in 
among  the  piles  of  dirt  which  mark  abandoned  diggings. 

Another  short  bit  of  made  road,  and  we  are  in  the 
township.  It  is  still  sufficiently  light  to  enable  me  to 
read  "Council  Chambers"  over  the  door  of  a  white- 
painted,  shed-like  wooden  erection  of  one  story.  Then 
up  the  street,  past  the  shops  with  their  large  canvas 
signs,  until  at  length  we  pull  up  alongside  a  wooden 
one-storied  house,  roofed  with  iron,  and  a  large  wooden 
veranda  projecting  over  the  pathway  in  front.  The 
sign-board  over  the  door  tells  me  this  is  the  Bank.  I 
have  reached  my  destination,  and  am  safely  landed  in 
the  town  of  Majorca. 


MAJORCA.  gg 


CHAPTEK  IX. 

MAJORCA. 

Majorca  founded  in  a  Rush. — Description  of  a  Rush. — Diggers  camping 
out. — Gold-mining  at  Majorca. — Majorca  High  Street. — The  People. 
— The  Inns. — The  Churches. — The  Bank. — The  Chinamen. — Austra- 
lia the  Paradise  of  Working-men. — "  Shouting"  for  Drinks. — Absence 
of  Beggars. — No  Coppers  up-country. 

IN  my  school-days  Majorca  was  associated  in  my  mind 
with  "  Minorca  and  Ivica,"  and  I  little  thought  to  en- 
counter a  place  of  that  name  in  Australia.  It  seems  that 
the  town  was  originally  so  called  because  of  its  vicinity 
to  a  rocky  point  called  Gibraltar,  where  gold  had  been 
found  some  time  before.  Like  many  other  towns  up- 
country,  the  founding  of  Majorca  was  the  result  of  a 
rush. 

In  the  early  days  of  gold-digging,  when  men  were 
flocking  into  the  colony  to  hunt  for  treasure,  so  soon  as 
the  news  got  abroad  of  a  great  nugget  being  found  by 
some  lucky  adventurers,  or  of  some  rich  gold-bearing 
strata  being  struck,  there  was  a  sudden  rush  from  all 
quarters  to  the  favored  spot.  Such  a  rush  occurred  at 
Majorca  in  the  year  1863. 

Let  me  try  to  describe  the  scene  in  those  early  days 
of  the  township  as  it  has  been  related  to  me  by  those 
who  witnessed  it.  Fancy  from  fourteen  to  fifteen  thou- 
sand diggers  suddenly  drawn  together  in  one  locality, 
and  camped  out  in  the  bush  within  a  radius  of  a  mile 
and  a  half. 


90  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

A  great  rush  is  a  scene  of  much  bustle  and  excite- 
ment. Long  lines  of  white  tents  overtop  the  heaps  of 
pipe-clay,  which  grow  higher  from  day  to  day.  The  men 
are  hard  at  work  on  these  hills  of  "  mullock,"  plying  the 
windlasses  by  which  the  stuff  is  brought  up  from  below, 
or  puddling  and  washing  off  "  the  dirt."  Up  come  the 
buckets  from  the  shafts,  down  which  the  diggers  are 
working,  and  the  dirty  yellow  water  is  poured  down  hill, 
to  find  its  way  to  the  creek  as  it  best  may.  Unmade 
roads,  or  rather  tracks,  run  in  and  out  among  the  claims, 
knee-deep  in  mud,  the  ground  being  kept  in  a  state  of 
constant  sloppiness  by  the  perpetual  washing  for  the  gold. 
Perhaps  there  is  a  fight  going  on  over  the  boundary-pegs 
of  a  claim  which  have  been  squashed  by  a  heavy  dray 
passing  along,  laden  with  stores  from  Castlemaine. 

The  miners  are  attended  by  all  manner  of  straggling 
followers,  like  the  sutlers  following  a  camp.  The  life  is 
a  very  rough  one  :  hard  work  and  hard  beds,  heavy  eat- 
ing and  heavy  drinking.  The  diggers  mostly  live  in 
tents,  for  they  are  at  first  too  much  engrossed  by  their 
search  for  gold  to  run  up  huts  ;  but  many  of  them  sleep 
in  the  open  air  or  under  the  shelter  of  the  trees.  A  pilot- 
coat  or  a  pea-jacket  is  protection  enough  for  those  who 
do  not  enjoy  the  luxury  of  a  tent ;  but  the  dryness  and 
geniality  of  the  climate  are  such  that  injury  is  very  rare- 
ly experienced  from  the  night  exposure.  There  are  very 
few  women  at  the  first  opening  of  new  diggings,  the  life 
is  too  rough  and  rude ;  and  some  of  those  who  do  come 
rock  the  cradle — but  not  the  household  one — with  the 
men.  The  diggers,  however  genteel  the  life  they  may 
have  led  before,  soon  acquire  a  dirty,  rough,  unshaven 
look.  Their  coarse  clothes  are  all  of  a  color,  being  that 


MAJORCA.  QI 

of  the  clay  and  gravel  in  which  they  work,  and  the  mud 
with  which  they  become  covered  when  digging. 

There  is  a  crowd  of  men  at  an  open  bar  drinking. 
Bar,  indeed!  It  is  but  a  plank  supported  on  two  bar- 
rels, and  across  this  improvised  counter  the  brandy  bot- 
tle and  glasses  are  eagerly  plied.  A  couple  of  old  boxes 
in  front  serve  for  seats,  while  a  piece  of  canvas,  rigged 
on  two  poles,  shades  off  the  fierce  sun.  Many  a  large 
fortune  has  been  made  at  a  rude  bar  of  this  sort ;  for  too 
many  of  the  diggers,  though  they  work  like  horses,  spend 
like  asses.  Here,  again,  in  the  long  main  street  of  tents, 
where  the  shafts  are  often  uncomfortably  close  to  the 
road,  the  tradesmen  are  doing  a  roaring  business.  Stal- 
wart men  with  stout  appetites  are  laying  in  their  stores 
of  grocery,  buying  pounds  of  flour,  sugar,  and  butter — 
meat  and  bread  in  great  quantities.  The  digger  thrusts 
his  parcels  indiscriminately  into  the  breast  of  his  dirty 
jumper,  a  thick  shirt ;  and  away  he  goes,  stuffed  with 
groceries,  and  perhaps  a  leg  of  mutton  over  his  shoulder. 
In  the  evening  some  four  thousand  camp-fires  in  the  val- 
leys, along  the  gulleys,  and  up  the  sides  of  the  hills,  cast 
a  lurid  light  over  a  scene  which,  once  witnessed,  can  nev- 
er be  forgotten. 

There  were,  of  course,  the  usual  rowdies  at  Majorca  as 
at  other  rushes.  But  very  soon  a  rough  discipline  was 
set  up  and  held  them  in  check  ;  then  a  local  government 
was  formed,  and  eventually  order  was  established.  Al- 
though the  neighboring  towns  look  down  on  "  little  Ma- 
jorca"—  say  it  is  the  last  place  made  —  and  tell  of  the 
riotous  doings  at  its  first  settlement,  Majorca  is  quoted 
by  Brough  Smyth,  whose  book  on  the  Goldfields  is  the 
best  authority  on  the  subject,  as  having  been  a  compara- 


92  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

tively  orderly  place,  even  in  the  earliest  days  of  the  rush. 
He  says,  "  Shortly  after  the  workings  were  opened  it 
presented  a  scene  of  busy  industry,  where  there  was  more 
of  order,  decency,  and  good  behavior  than  could  proba- 
bly be  found  in  any  mining  locality  in  England,  or  on 
the  Continent  of  Europe."* 

The  contrast,  however,  must  be  very  great  between 
the  Majorca  of  to-day  and  the  Majorca  of  seven  years 
since,  when  it  was  a  great  gold-diggers'  camp.  It  had 
its  first  burst,  like  all  other  celebrated  places  in  the  gold- 
fields.  As  the  shallower  and  richer  ground  became 
worked  out,  the  diggers  moved  off  to  some  new  diggings, 
and  the  first  glories  of  the  Majorca  rush  gradually  passed 
away.  Still,  the  place  continued  prosperous.  The  min- 
ing was  carried  down  into  deeper  strata.  But  after  a 
few  years  the  yield  fell  off,  and  the  engines  were  gradu- 
ally withdrawn.  Some  few  claims  are  doing  well  in 

*  The  following  is  from  Mr.  Brought  Smyth's  book : 

"I  need  only  now  speak  of  Majorca.  Here  a  prospecting  shaft  was 
bottomed  in  the  beginning  of  March,  1863,  in  the  middle  of  a  very  exten- 
sive plain,  known  as  M'Cullum's  Creek  Plain.  The  depth  of  the  shaft 
was  85  feet,  through  thick  clay,  gravel,  and  cement.  The  wash-dirt  was 
white  gravel,  intermixed  with  heavy  boulders,  on  a  soft  pipe-clay  bottom, 
its  thickness  being  from  2  to  3  feet.  It  averaged  in  some  places  3  oz.  to 
the  load.  Finally  a  rush  set  in,  and  before  three  months  had  elapsed 
there  were  more  then  15,000  miners  on  the  ground.  The  sinking  became 
deeper  as  the  work  went  on,  and  was  so  wet  that  whims  had  to  be  erect- 
ed ;  and  at  one  time,  in  1865,  over  170  might  have  been  seen  at  work,  both 
night  and  day.  Subsequently  steam  machinery  was  procured,  and  now  no 
less  than  ten  engines,  varying  from  15-  to  20-horse  power,  are  constantly 
employed  in  pumping,  winding,  and  puddling.  The  lead  in  its  lower  part 
is  160  feet  in  depth,  and  is  evidently  extending  toward  the  Carisbrooke, 
Moolart,  and  Charlotte  Plains,  where  so  much  is  expected  by  all  scientific 
men." — Mr.  E.  O1  F  arr  ell,  formerly  Chairman  of  the  Mining  Board  of  the 
Maryborough  District. — Brough  Smyth,  p.  98, 99. 


MAJORCA.  93 

new  offshoots  of  the  lead,  and  the  miners  are  vigorously 
following  it  up.  Two  engine  companies  are  pushing 
ahead  and  hoping  for  better  things.  Over  at  the  other 
side  of  the  creek,  in  among  the  ranges,  there  is  still 
plenty  of  fair  yielding  quartz,  which  is  being  got  out  of 
mother  earth,  and  the  miners  consider  that  they  have 
very  fair  prospects  before  them.* 

Indeed,  Majorca  has  subsided  into  a  comparatively 
quiet  country  place,  containing  about  eight  hundred  in- 
habitants. It  is  supported  in  a  great  measure  by  the  ad- 
joining farming  population ;  and  I  observed,  during  my 
stay  at  the  place,  that  the  more  prudent  of  the  miners, 
when  they  had  saved  a  few  hundred  pounds — and  some 
saved  much  more — usually  retired  from  active  digging 
and  took  to  farming.  The  town  consists,  for  the  most 
part,  of  one  long  street,  situated  on  a  rising  ground. 
There  are  not  many  buildings  of  importance  in  it.  The 
houses  are  mostly  of  wood,  one-storied,  and  roofed  with 
corrugated  iron.  There  is  only  one  brick  shop-front  in 
the  street,  which  so  overtops  the  others  that  malicious, 
perhaps  envious  neighbors,  say  it  is  sure  to  topple  down 
some  day  on  to  the  footway.  The  shops  are  of  the  usual 
description,  grocers,  bakers,  butchers,  and  drapers ;  and 
the  most  frequent  style  of  shop  is  a  store  containing 
every  thing  from  a  pickaxe  and  tin  dish  (for  gold  wash- 
ing) to  Perry  Davis's  patent  Pain-killer.  "We  have,  of 
course,  our  inns — the  Imperial,  where  the  manager  of 

*  Since  my  return  home,  letters  from  Majorca  inform  me  that  things 
have  recently  taken  a  turn  for  the  better.  Several  of  the  alluvial  mining 
companies  are  getting  gold  in  increased  quantities.  New  shafts  have  been 
bottomed  on  rich  ground,  and  the  remittances  of  gold  are  gradually  on  the 
increase. 


94  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

the  bank  and  myself  lived ;  the  Harp  of  Erin,  the  Irish 
rendezvous,  as  its  name  imports,  even  its  barroom  being 
papered  with  green ;  the  German  Hotel,  where  the  Yerein 
is  held,  and  over  which  the  German  tri-color  flag  floats 
on  fete-days ;  and  there  is  also  a  Swiss  restaurant,  the 
Guillauine  Tell,  with  the  Swiss  flag  and  cap  of  liberty 
painted  on  its  white  front. 

I  must  also  mention  the  churches,  standing  off  the 
main  street,  which  are  the  most  prominent  buildings  in 
Majorca.  The  largest  is  the  Wesley  an  Chapel,  a  sub- 
stantial brick  building,  near  which  still  stands  the  old 
wooden  shanty  first  erected  and  used  in  the  time  of  the 
rush.  Then  there  is  the  Church  of  England,  a  neat 
though  plain  edifice,  well  fitted  and  arranged.  The  Pres- 
byterians worship  in  a  battered-looking  wooden  erection ; 
and  the  Roman  Catholics  have  a  shed-like  place,  which 
in  week-days  is  used  as  a  school. 

Our  inns  and  our  churches  will  give  you  some  idea  of 
the  population  of  Majorca.  I  should  say  the  most  of  it — 
the  substance — is  English.  The  Irish  are  hard  workers, 
but  generally  spendthrift,  though  there  are  some  excel- 
lent exceptions.  The  Irish  hold  together  in  religion,  pol- 
itics, and  drink.  The  Scotch  are  not  so  numerous  as  the 
Irish,  but  somehow  they  have  a  knack  of  getting  on. 
They  are  not  clannish  like  the  Irish.  Each  hangs  by  his 
own  hook.  Then  there  are  the  Germans,  who  are  pretty 
numerous,  a  very  respectable  body  of  men,  with  a  sprink- 
ling of  Italians  and  Swiss.  The  Germans  keep  up  their 
old  country  fashions,  hold  their  Verein,  meet  and  make 
speeches,  sing  songs,  smoke  pipes,  and  drink  thin  wine. 
Lager-beer  has  not  reached  them  yet. 

The  building  in  Majorca  in  which  I  am,  of  course. 


MAJORCA.  95 

most  of  all  interested,  is  that  in  which  I  officiate  as  "  Ac- 
countant," the  only  other  officer  in  the  bank  being  the 
"  Manager."  Yon  will  thus  observe  that  there  are  only 
officers  in  our  establishment — all  rank  and  no  file.  Let 
me  give  you  an  idea  of  our  building.  Its  walls  are 
wooden,  with  canvas  inside,  and  its  roof  is  of  corrugated 
iron.  The  office  fronts  the  main  street,  and  is  fitted  with 
a  plain  counter  facing  the  door,  at  one  end  of  which  are 
the  gold-weighing  scales,  and  at  the  other  the  ledger- 
desk.  Two  rooms  are  attached  to  the  office,  in  which 
we  sleep — one  behind,  the  other  at  the  side.  There  is  a 
pretty  little  garden  in  the  rear,  a  veranda  covered  with 
a  thickly  growing  Australian  creeper  (the  Dolichos)  shel- 
tering us  as  we  sit  out  there  occasionally,  enjoying  the 
quiet  cool  of  the  evenings,  reading  or  talking. 

You  will  thus  observe  that  our  establishment  is  by  no 
means  of  a  stately  order.*  Indeed,  the  place  is  not 
weather-proof.  When  the  wind  blows  the  canvas  inside 
the  boards  flaps  about,  and  in  my  queer  little  sleeping- 
room,  when  the  rain  falls  it  runs  down  the  sides  of  the 
canvas  walls,  and  leaves  large  stains  upon  the  gay  paper. 
But  I  contrived  to  make  the  little  place  look  tolerably 
comfortable ;  hung  it  round  with  photographs  reminding 
me  of  relations  and  friends  at  home,  and  at  length  I 
came  quite  to  enjoy  my  little  retreat. 

A  look  up  and  down  the  main  street  of  Majorca  is  not 
particularly  lively  at  any  time.  Some  of  the  shopkeep- 
ers are  in  front  of  their  stores,  standing  about  under  the 
verandas  which  cover  the  pathway,  and  lazily  enjoying  a 

*  Since  I  left  Majorca  a  neat  and  substantial  brick  building  has  been 
erected  for  the  purposes  of  the  Bank,  in  lieu  of  the  former  wooden  struct- 
ure. 


96  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

pipe.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  town  the  blacksmith  is 
busily  at  work  shoeing  some  farmer's  horses  in  front  of 
the  blazing  smithy  fire.  Five  or  six  diggers  come  slouch- 
ing along,  just  from  their  work,  in  their  mud-bespattered 
trowsers  and  their  shirt  sleeves,  a  pick  or  spade  over 
their  shoulders,  and  a  tin  "  billy"  in  their  hands.  But 
for  the  occasional  rattle  of  a  cart  or  buggy  down  the 
street,  the  town  would  be  lapped  in  quiet. 

Here  comes  a  John  Chinaman  with  his  big  basket  of 
vegetables.  And  let  me  tell  you  that  the  Chinamen, 
who  live  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  town,  form  no  un- 
important part  of  our  community.  But  for  them,  where 
should  we  be  for  our  cabbages,  cauliflowers,  and  early 
potatoes  ?  They  are  the  most  indefatigable  and  success- 
ful of  gardeners.  Every  morning  three  or  four  of  them 
are  seen  coming  into  the  town  from  their  large  gardens 
near  the  creek,  each  with  a  pole  across  his  shoulders,  and 
a  heavily  laden  basket  hanging  from  each  end.  "What 
tremendous  loads  they  contrive  to  carry  in  this  way ! 
Try  to  lift  one  of  their  baskets,  and  you  will  find  you 
can  hardly  raise  it  from  the  ground.  Then  you  see  the 
"  Johns"  moving  along  from  house  to  house,  selling  their 
stuffs.  It  takes  a  very  clever  woman  to  get  the  better 
of  one  of  the  Chinamen  in  a  bargain.  I  found,  by  watch- 
ing closely,  that  those  got  best  off  who  chose  what  they 
wanted  out  of  the  basket,  paid  what  they  thought  a  fair 
price,  and  stuck  to  their  purchase.  John  would  at  last 
agree,  but  go  away  grumbling.  • 

Of  course  there  is  not  much  in  the  way  of  what  is 
called  "  society"  at  this  place.  Like  all  the  new  towns 
in  Australia,  it  consists  for  the  most  part  of  a  settlement 
of  working  people.  Australia  may,  however,  be  regard- 


MAJORCA.  97 

ed  as  the  paradise  of  working-men  when  they  choose  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  which  it  offers.  Here 
there  is  always  plenty  of  profitable  work  for  the  indus- 
trious.- Even  Chinamen  get  rich.  The  better  sort  of 
working  families  live  far  more  comfortably  than  our 
clerking  or  business  young  men  do  at  home.  The  re- 
spectable workman  belongs  to  the  Mechanics'  Institute, 
where  there  is  a  very  good  circulating  library ;  he  dresses 
well  on  Sundays,  and  goes  to  church ;  hires  a  horse,  and 
takes  a  pleasure  ride  into  the  bush  on  holidays;  puts 
money  in  the  bank,  and  when  he  has  accumulated  a 
fund,  builds  a  house  for  himself,  or  buys  a  lot  of  land 
and  takes  to  farming.  Any  steady  working-man  can  do 
all  this  here,  and  without  any  difficulty. 

Where  the  digger  or  mechanic  does  not  thrive  and 
save  money,  the  fault  is  entirely  due  to  his  own  improvi- 
dence. Living  is  cheap.  Clothes  are  dear ;  but  the  work- 
man does  not  need  to  wear  expensive  clothes  ;  and  food 
is  reasonable.  Good  mutton  sells  at  3d.  a  pound,  and 
bread  at  6d.  the  four-pound  loaf.  Thanks  to  the  China- 
men also,  vegetables  are  moderate  in  price.  Every  one 
may,  therefore,  save  money  if  he  has  the  mind  to  do  so. 
But  many  spendthrifts  seem  to  feel  it  a  sort  of  necessity 
to  throw  away  their  money  as  soon  as  they  have  earned 
it.  Of  course,  the  chief  source  of  waste  here,  as  at  home, 
is  drink.  There  is  constant  "  shouting"  for  drinks — that 
is,  giving  drinks  all  round  to  any  acquaintances  who  may 
be  present ;  and  as  one  shouts,  so  another  follows  with 
his  shout,  and  thus  a  great  deal  of  drink  is  swallowed. 
Yet  I  must  say  that,  though  there  may  be  more  drinking 
here  than  in  England,  there  is  much  less  drunkenness. 
I  have  very  seldom  seen  a  man  really  drunk  during  my 

E 


98  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

stay  in  Majorca.  Perhaps  the  pure  dry  atmosphere  may 
have  something  to  do  with  it.  But  often,  also,  when 
there  is  a  shout,  the  call  of  many  may  be  only  for  lem- 
onade, or  some  simple  beverage  of  that  sort.  It  must 
also  be  stated,  as  a  plea  for  men  resorting  so  much  as 
they  do  to  public  houses,  that  there  are  few  other  places 
where  they  can  meet  and  exchange  talk  with  each  other. 

That  every  body  may  thrive  here  who  will  is  evi- 
dent from  the  utter  absence  of  beggars  in  Australia.  I 
have  not  seen  one  regular  practitioner.  An  occasional 
"tramp"  may  be  encountered  hard  up,  and  in  search  of 
work.  He  may  ask  for  assistance.  He  can  have  a  glass 
of  beer  at  a  bar,  with  a  crust  of  bread,  by  asking  for  it. 
And  he  goes  on  his  way,  most  likely  getting  the  employ- 
ment of  which  he  is  in  search  at  the  next  township.  The 
only  beggars  I  ever  encountered  at  Majorca  are  genteel 
ones — the  people  who  come  round  with  lists,  asking  for 
subscriptions  in  aid  of  bazars  for  the  building  of  church- 
es and  the  like.  Nor  did  I  find  much  of  that  horrid 
"tipping"  which  is  such  a  nuisance  in  England.  You 
may  "  shout"  a  liquor  if  you  choose,  but "  tipping"  would 
be  considered  an  insult. 

There  is  an  almost  entire  absence  of  coppers  up-coun- 
try;  the  lowest  change  is  a  threepenny  bit,  and  you  can 
not  well  spend  any  thing  under  a  sixpence.  I  never  had 
any  copper  in  my  pocket  except  only  a  lucky  farthing. 
Many  asked  me  for  it,  to  keep  as  a  curiosity,  saying  they 
had  never  seen  one  since  they  left  home.  But  I  would 
not  part  with  my  farthing 


MY  NEIGHBORHOOD  AND  NEIGHBORS.  99 


CHAPTER  X. 

MY  NEIGHBORHOOD  AND  NEIGHBORS. 

"Dining  out." — Diggers'  Sunday  Dinner. — The  old  Workings. — The 
Chinamen's  Gardens. — Chinamen's  Interiors. — The  Cemetery. — The 
High  Plains.— The  Bush.— A  Eide  through  the  Bush.— The  Savoyard 
Wood-cutter. — Visit  to  a  Squatter. 

THERE  is  no  difficulty  in  making  friends  in  Victoria. 
New  chums  from  home  are  always  made  welcome.  They 
are  invited  out,  and  hospitably  entertained  by  people  of 
all  classes.  But  for  the  many  kind  friends  I  made  in 
Majorca  and  its  neighborhood  I  should  doubtless  have 
spent  a  very  dull  time  there.  As  it  was,  the  eighteen 
months  I  lived  up-country  passed  pleasantly  and  happily. 

The  very  first  Sunday  I  spent  in  Majorca  I  "  dined 
out."  I  had  no  letters  of  introduction,  and  therefore  did 
not  owe  my  dinner  to  influence,  but  to  mere  free-and- 
easy  hospitality.  Nor  did  the  party  with  which  I  dined 
belong  to  the  first  circles,  where  letters  of  introduction 
are  of  any  use ;  for  they  were  only  a  party  of  diggers. 
I  will  explain  how  it  happened. 

After  church  my  manager  invited  me  to  a  short  walk 
in  the  neighborhood.  We  went  in  the  direction  of 
M'Cullum's  Creek,  about  a  mile  distant.  This  was  the 
village  at  the  creek  which  I  passed  on  the  evening  of 
my  first  drive  from  Maryborough.  Crossing  the  creek, 
we  went  up  into  the  range  of  high  ground  beyond,  and 
from  the  top  of  the  hill  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 


100  *  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

rounding  country.  Majorca  lay  below,  glistening  amid 
its  hillocks  of  pipe-clay.  The  atmosphere  was  clear,  and 
the  sky  blue  and  cloudless.  Though  the  town  was  two 
miles  distant,  I  could  read  some  of  the  names  on  the 
large  canvas  sign-boards  over  the  hotel  doors ;  and  with 
the  help  of  an  opera-glass  I  easily  distinguished  the  win- 
dows of  a  house  six  miles  off.  The  day  was  fine  and 
warm,  though  it  was  midwinter  in  June ;  for  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  seasons  are  reversed  in  this  south- 
ern hemisphere. 

Descending  the  farther  side  of  the  hill,  we  dropped 
into  a  gully  where  we  shortly  came  upon  a  little  collec- 
tion of  huts  roofed  with  shingle.  The  residents  were 
outside,  some  amusing  themselves  with  a  cricket-ball, 
while  others  were  superintending  the  cooking  of  their 
dinners  at  open  fires  outside  the  huts.  One  of  the  men 
having  recognized  my  companion,  a  conversation  took 
place,  which  was  followed  by  an  invitation  to  join  them 
at  dinner.  As  we  were  getting  rather  peckish  after  our 
walk,  we  readily  accepted  their  proffered  hospitality. 
The  mates  took  turn  and  turn  about  at  the  cooking,  and 
when  dinner  was  pronounced  to  be  ready  we  went  into 
the  hut. 

The  place  was  partitioned  off  into  two  rooms,  one  of 
which  was  a  sleeping  apartment,  and  the  other  the  din- 
ing-room. It  was  papered  with  a  gay-colored  paper,  and 
photographs  of  friends  were  stuck  up  against  the  wall. 
"We  were  asked  to  be  seated.  To  accommodate  the 
strangers,  an  empty  box  and  a  billet  of  wood  were  intro- 
duced from  the  outside.  I  could  not  say  the  table  was 
laid,  for  it  was  guiltless  of  a  table-cloth ;  indeed,  all  the 
appointments  were  rather  rough.  When  we  were  seat- 


MY  NEIGHBORHOOD  AND  NEIGHBORS.  joi 

ed,  one  of  the  mates,  who  acted  as  waiter,  brought  in  the 
smoking  dishes  from  the  fire  outside,  and  set  them  be- 
fore us.  The  dinner  consisted  of  roast  beef  and  cauli- 
flower, and  a  capital  dinner  it  was,  for  our  appetites  were 
keen,  and  hunger  is  the  best  of  sauces.  We  were  told 
that  on  Sundays  the  men  usually  had  pudding;  but 
"  Bill,"  who  was  the  cook  that  week,  was  pronounced  to 
be  "no  hand  at  a  plum  duff."  We  contrived, however, 
to  do  very  well  without  it. 

I  afterward  found  that  the  men  were  very  steady  fel- 
lows— three  of  them  English  and  one  a  German.  They 
worked  at  an  adjoining  claim;  and  often  afterward  I 
saw  them  at  our  bank,  selling  the  gold,  or  depositing 
their  savings. 

After  dinner  we  had  a  ramble  through  the  bush  with 
our  hosts,  and  then,  toward  dusk,  we  wended  our  way 
back  to  the  township.  Such  was  my  first  experience  of 
diggers'  hospitality  in  Australia,  and  it  was  by  no  means 
the  last. 

Another  afternoon  we  made  an  excursion  to  the  Chi- 
namen's gardens,  which  lie  up  the  creek,  under  the  rocky 
point  of  Gibraltar,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant  from 
the  township.  We  went  through  the  lead — that  is,  the 
course  which  the  gold  takes  underground,  and  which  can 
be  traced  by  the  old  workings.  Where  the  gold  lies 
from  five  to  seven  feet  beneath  the  surface,  the  whole 
ground  is  turned  over  to  get  at  it ;  but  where  the  gold- 
bearing  stratum  lies  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet  deep, 
and  shafts  have  to  be  sunk,  the  remains  of  the  old  work- 
ings present  a  very  different  appearance.  Then  mounds 
of  white  clay  and  gravel,  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  high, 
lie  close  together,  sometimes  not  more  than  fifteen  feet 


102  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

apart.  Climb  up  to  the  top  of  one  of  these  mounds,  and 
you  can  see  down  the  deserted  shaft  which  formerly  led 
to  the  working  ground  below.  Look  round ;  see  the  im- 
mense quantity  of  heaps,  and  the  extent  of  ground  they 
cover,  almost  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  up  the  lead, 
and  imagine  the  busy  scene  which  the  place  must  have 
presented  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  rush,  when  each  of 
these  shafts  was  fitted  with  its  windlass,  and  each  mound 
was  covered  with  toiling  men.  In  one  place  a  couple  of 
engine-sheds  still  remain,  a  gaunt  erection  supporting 
the  water-tanks;  the  poppet-heads  towering  above  all, 
still  fitted  with  the  wheels  that  helped  to  bring  the  gold 
to  the  surface.  How  deserted  and  desolate  the  place 
looks!  An  abandoned  rush  must  be  as  melancholy  a 
sight  to  a  miner  as  a  deserted  city  to  a  townsman.  But 
all  is  not  dead  yet.  Not  far  off  you  can  see  jets  of 
white  steam  coming  up  from  behind  the  high  white 
mounds  on  the  new  lead,  showing  that  miners  are  still 
actually  at  work  in  the  neighborhood ;  nor  are  they 
working  without  hope. 

Passing  through  the  abandoned  claims,  we  shortly 
found  ourselves  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  overlooking  the 
Chinamen's  gardens,  of  which  we  had  come  in  search, 
and,  dipping  into  the  valley,  we  were  soon  in  front  of 
them.  They  are  wonderfully  neat  and  well  kept.  The 
oblong  beds  are  raised  some  ten  inches  above  the  level 
of  the  walks,  and  the  light  and  loamy  earth  is  kept  in 
first-rate  condition.  The  Chinamen  are  far  less  particu- 
lar about  their  huts,  which  are  both  poor  and  frail.  Some 
of  them  are  merely  of  canvas,  propped  up  by  gum-tree 
branches,  to  protect  them  from  the  wind  and  weather. 
But  John  has  more  substantial  dwellings  than  these,  for 


M Y  NEIGHBORED OD  AND  NEIGHBORS.       \  Q 3 

here,  I  observe,  is  a  neat  little  cluster  of  huts,  one  in  the 
centre  being  a  well-constructed  weather-board,  with  a. 
real  f our-paned  glass  window  in  it. 

Crossing  the  ditch  surrounding  the  gardens  upon  a 
tottering  plank,  and  opening  the  little  gate,  we  went  in. 
The  Chinamen  were,  as  usual,  busily  at  work.  Some 
were  hoeing  the  light  soil,  and  others,  squatted  on  their 
haunches,  were  weeding.  They  looked  up  and  wished 
us  "  Good  evening"  as  we  passed  along.  Near  the  creek, 
which  bounded  one  end  of  the  ground,  a  John  was  haul- 
ing up  water  from  the  well ;  I  took  a  turn  at  the  wind- 
lass, and  must  confess  that  I  found  the  work  very  hard. 

The  young  vegetables  are  reared  with  the  greatest 
care,  and  each  plant  is  sedulously  watched  and  attended 
to.  Here  is  a  John  down  on  his  haunches,  with  a  pot  of 
white  mixture  and  a  home-manufactured  brush,  painting 
over  the  tender  leaves  of  some  young  cabbages  to  save 
them  from  blight.  He  has  to  go  through  some  hundreds 
of  them  in  this  way.  Making  our  way  into  one  of 
the  larger  huts,  we  stroll  into  the  open  door,  and  ask  a 
more  important-looking  man  if  he  has  any  watermelon. 
"We  get  a  splendid  one  for  "  fourpin,"  and  have  a  deli- 
cious "gouter"  Our  host — a  little,  dry,  withered-up  fel- 
low, dressed  in  a  soiled  blue  cotton  jacket,  and  wide 
trowsers  which  flap  about  his  ankles — collects  the  rind 
for  his  fowls.  The  hard-beaten  ground  is  the  only  floor- 
ing of  the  hut,  and  the  roof  is  simply  of  bark. 

In  one  of  the  corners  of  the  cabin  was  a  most  peculiar- 
looking  affair,  very  like  a  Punch  and  Judy  show.  On 
the  proscenium,  as  it  were,  large  Chinese  letters  were 
painted.  Inside  was  an  image  or  idol  (the  joss),  carved 
in  wood,  with  gorgeous  gilded  paper  stuck  all  round  him. 


104  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

A  small  crowd  of  diminutive  Chinamen  knelt  before 
him,  doing  homage.  On  the  ledge  before  the  little  stage 
was  a  glass  oiporter  for  the  idol  to  drink,  and  some  rice 
and  fruit  to  satisfy  his  appetite.  Numerous  Chinese  can- 
dles, like  our  wax  tapers,  were  put  up  all  round  inside, 
and  the  show,  when  lit  up,  must  have  looked  very  curi- 
ous. 

The  Chinamen  are  always  pleased  at  any  notice  taken 
of  their  houses,  so  we  penetrated  a  little  farther  into  the 
dwelling.  In  one  little  room  we  found  a  young  fellow 
reading  a  Chinese  book  with  English  words  opposite  the 
characters.  It  seemed  a  sort  of  primer  or  word-book. 
My  friend  having  asked  the  Chinaman  to  give  us  some 
music  on  an  instrument  hanging  above  him,  which  look- 
ed something  like  our  banjo,  he  proceeded  to  give  us 
some  Celestial  melodies.  The  tunes  were  not  bad,  being 
in  quick  time,  not  unlike  an  Irish  jig,  but  the  chords  wrere 
most  strange.  -He  next  played  a  tune  on  the  Chinese 
fiddle,  very  thin  and  squeaky.  The  fiddle  consists  of  a 
long,  straight  piece  of  wood,  with  a  cross-piece  fixed  on 
to  the  end  of  it.  Two  strings  stretch  from  the  tip  of  the 
cross-piece  to  the  end  of  the  long  piece.  The  instrument 
is  rested  on  the  knee,  and  the  gut  of  the  bow,  which  is 
between  the  two  strings,  is  drawn  first  across  one  and 
then  the  other.  An  invisible  vocalist  in  the  adjoining 
cabin  gave  us  a  song  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  violin. 
I  should  imagine  that  it  was  a  sentimental  song,  as  it 
sounded  very  doleful ;  it  must  surely  have  been  the  tune 
that  the  old  cow  died  of ! 

We  were  now  in  the  bedroom,  which  was  a  most  quaint 
affair.  You  must  not  imagine  that  the  Chinamen  sleep 
on  beds  at  all — at  least  the  Chinamen  here  do  not.  A 


MY  NEIGHBORHOOD  AND  NEIGHBORS.  1Q5 

wooden  stretcher,  covered  with  fine  straw  matting,  is  suf- 
ficient for  their  purpose.  The  room  was  lit  by  a  small 
window ;  the  walls  were  decorated  with  a  picture  or  two 
from  the  "  Illustrated  London  News,"  placed  side  by  side 
with  Chinese  likenesses  of  charming  small-footed  ladies, 
gaudily  dressed  in  blues  and  yellows. 

In  another  adjoining  hut  we  found  a  Chinaman  whom 
we  knew— a  man  who  comes  to  the  bank  occasionally  to 
sell  us  gold.  He  was  cooking  his  supper,  squatting  over 
the  fire,  with  an  old  frying-pan  containing  something  that 
looked  very  like  dried  worms  frizzling  in  fat.  "  Welly 
good"  he  told  us  it  was ;  and  very  good  he  seemed  to  be 
making  it,  as  he  added  slice  after  slice  of  cucumber  to 
the  mixture.  John  showed  us  the  little  worm-like  things 
before  they  were  put  in  the  pan,  and  told  us  they  came 
"  all  the  way  Canton."  He  offered  us,  by  way  of  refresh- 
ment, his  very  last  drop  of  liquor  from  a  bottle  that  was 
labeled  ".Burnett's  fine  Old  Tom,"  which  he  kept,  I  sup- 
pose, for  his  private  consumption.  John's  mates  shortly 
after  came  into  their  meal,  when  we  retired — I  with  a 
cucumber  in  my  pocket,  which  he  gave  me  as  a  present, 
and  a  very  good  one  it  was.  I  often  afterward  went 
over  to  see  the  Chinamen,  they  were  so  quaint  and  funny 
in  their  ways. 

I  observe  that  in  the  cemetery  the  Chinamen  have  a 
separate  piece  of  burying-ground  apportioned  to  them. 
There  their  bodies  are  interred,  but  only  to  be  dug  up 
again,  inclosed  in  boxes,  and  returned  to  China  for  final 
burial ;  the  prejudice  said  to  prevail  among  them  being 
that  if  their  bones  do  not  rest  in  China  their  bodies  can 
not  enter  Paradise.  Not  only  are  they  careful  that  their 
bodies,  but  even  that  bits  of  their  bodies,  should  be  re- 

E2 


106  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

turned  to  their  native  land.  There  was  a  Chinaman  in 
Majorca,  whom  I  knew  well,  that  had  his  finger  taken  off 
by  an  accident.  Shortly  after  he  left  the  township ;  but, 
three  months  after,  he  one  day  made  his  appearance  at 
our  bank.  I  asked  him  where  he  had  been,  and  why  he 
had  come  back  to  Majorca.  "Oh !"  said  he,  holding  up 
his  hand, "  me  come  look  after  my  finger."  "  Where  is 
it  ?"  I  asked.  "  Oh !  me  put  em  in  the  ground  in  bush — 
me  know."  And  I  have  no  doubt  he  recovered  his  mem- 
ber, and  went  away  happy. 

My  greatest  pleasure  while  at  Majorca  was  in  riding 
or  walking  through  the  bush — that  is,  the  country  as  Na- 
ture made  it  and  left  it — still  uncleared  and  unoccupied 
except  by  occasional  flocks  of  sheep,  the  property  of  the 
neighboring  squatters.  North  of  Majorca  lies  a  fine  tract 
of  country  which  we  call  the  high  plains,  for  we  have  to 
cross  a  creek  and  climb  a  high  hill  before  we  get  on  to 
them.  Then  for  an  invigorating  gallop  over  the  green 
turf,  the  breeze  freshening  as  we  pace  along.  These 
plains  are  really  wonderful.  They  look  like  a  large  nat- 
ural amphitheatre,  being  level  for  about  fifteen  miles  in 
every  direction,  and  encircled  all  round  by  high  hills. 
There  is  very  little  timber  on  the  plains. 

The  bush  covers  the  ranges  of  hills  between  Majorca 
and  these  plains  or  lower  grounds,  amid  which  the  creeks 
run.  Here,  in  some  places,  the  trees  grow  pretty  thick- 
ly; in  others,  the  country  is  open  and  naturally  clear. 
There  is,  however,  always  enough  timber  about  to  con- 
fuse the  traveler  unless  he  knows  the  track. 

Shortly  after  my  settling  in  Majorca,  having  heard 
that  one  of  my  fellow-passengers  by  the  "  Yorkshire"  was 
staying  with  a  squatter  about  fourteen  miles  off,  I  deter- 


M T  NEIGHBORED OD  AND  NEIGHBORS.  \  Q 7 

mined  to  pay  him  a  visit.  I  thought  I  knew  the  track 
tolerably  well ;  but  on  my  way  through  the  bush  I  got 
confused,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  had  lost  my 
way.  When  travelers  get  lost,  they  usually  "  coo-ee"  at 
the  top  of  their  voice,  and  the  prolonged  note,  rising  at 
the  end,  is  heard  at  a  great  distance  in  the  silence  of  the 
bush.  I  coo-ied  as  loud  as  I  could,  and  listened;  but 
there  was  no  response.  I  rode  on  again,  and  at  length  I 
thought  I  heard  a  sort  of  hammering  noise  in  the  dis- 
tance. I  proceeded  toward  it,  and  found  the  noise  occa- 
sioned by  a  man  chopping  wood.  Glad  to  find  I  was  not 
yet  lost,  I  went  up  to  him  to  ask  my  way.  To  my  sur- 
prise, he  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English.  I  tried  him 
in  German,  I  tried  him  in  French.  No !  What  was  he, 
then  ?  I  found,  by  his  patois,  a  few  words  of  which  I 
contrived  to  make  out,  that  he  was  a  Savoyard,  who  had 
only  very  recently  arrived  in  the  colony.  By  dint  of 
signs  as  much  as  words,  I  eventually  made  out  the  direc- 
tion in  which  I  was  to  go  in  order  again  to  find  the  track 
that  I  had  missed,  and  I  took  leave  of  my  Savoyard  with 
thanks. 

I  succeeded  in  recovering  the  track,  and  eventually 
reached  the  squatter's  house  in  which  my  friend  resided. 
It  was  a  large  stone  building,  erected  in  the  modern 
style  of  villa  architecture.  Beside  it  stood  the  original 
squatter's  dwelling.  What  a  contrast  they  presented ! 
the  one  a  tall,  handsome  house ;  the  other  a  little,  one- 
storied,  shingle -roofed  hut,  with  queer  little  doors  and 
windows.  My  friend,  as  he  came  out  and  welcomed  me, 
asked  me  to  guess  what  he  had  been  just  doing.  He 
had  been  helping  to  put  in  the  new  stove  in  the  kitchen, 
for  the  larger  house  is  scarcely  yet  finished.  He  told 


108  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

me  what  a  good  time  he  was  having :  horses  to  ride, 
doing  whatever  he  liked,  and  enjoying  a  perfect  Liberty 
Hall. 

The  host  himself  shortly  made  his  appearance,  and 
gave  me  a  cordial  welcome.  After  dinner  we  walked 
round  and  took  a  view  of  the  place.  Quite  a  little 
community,  I  found,  lived  about,  for  our  host  is  a  large 
squatter,  farmer,  and  miller,  all  the  people  being  sup- 
plied with  rations  from  the  station  store.  There  is  even 
a  station  church  provided  by  the  owner,  and  a  clergy- 
man comes  over  from  Maryborough  every  Sunday  after- 
noon to  hold  the  service  and  preach  to  the  people.  Aft- 
er a  very  pleasant  stroll  along  the  banks  of  the  pretty 
creek  which  runs  near  the  house,  I  mounted  my  nag, 
and  rode  slowly  home  in  the  cool  of  the  evening. 


AUSTRALIAN  WINTER— THE  FLOODS.  1Q9 


CHAPTEE  XL 

AUSTEALIAN   WINTER THE   FLOODS. 

The  Victorian  Climate. — The  Bush  in  Winter. — The  Eucalyptus,  or  Aus- 
tralian Gum-tree. — Ball  at  Clunes. — Fire  in  the  main  Street. — The 
Buggy  saved. — Down-pour  of  Rain. — Going  Home  by  Water. — The 
Floods  out. — Clunes  submerged. — Calamity  at  Ballarat. — Damage  done 
by  the  Flood. — The  Chinamen's  Gardens  washed  away. 

I  WAS  particularly  charmed  with  the  climate  of  Vic- 
toria. It  is  really  a  pleasure  to  breathe  the  air,  it  is  so 
pure,  dry,  and  exhilarating.  Even  when  the  tempera- 
ture is  at  its  highest,  the  evenings  are  delightfully  cool. 
There  is  none  of  that  steamy,  clammy,  moist  heat  during 
the  day,  which  is  sometimes  so  difficult  to  bear  in  the 
English  summer ;  and  as  for  the  spring  of  Australia,  it 
is  simply  perfection. 

It  was  midwinter  when  I  arrived  in  Majorca — that  is, 
about  the  end  of  June,  corresponding  with  our  English 
December.  Although  a  wood  fire  was  very  pleasant, 
especially  in  the  evenings,  it  was  usually  warm  at  mid- 
day. The  sky  was  of  a  bright,  clear  blue,  and  some- 
times the  sun  shone  with  considerable  power.  No  one 
would  think  of  going  out  with  a  greatcoat  in  winter  ex- 
cepting for  a  long  drive  through  the  bush  or  at  night. 
In  fact,  the  season  can  scarcely  be  termed  winter ;  it  is 
rather  like  a  prolonged  autumn,  extending  from  May  to 
August.  Snow  never  falls  —  at  least  I  never  saw  any 
during  the  two  winters  I  spent  in  the  colony ;  and  al- 


110  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

though  there  were  occasional  slight  frosts  at  night  in 
the  month  of  August,  I  never  observed  the  ice  thicker 
than  a  wafer.  I  once  saw  a  heavy  shower  of  hail,  as  it 
might  fall  in  England  in  summer,  but  it  melted  off  the 
ground  directly. 

In  proof  of  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  it  may  fur- 
ther be  mentioned  that  the  Australian  vegetation  con- 
tinues during  the  winter  months.  The  trees  remain 
clothed  in  their  usual  garb,  though  the  leaves  are  of  a 
somewhat  browner  hue  than  in  the  succeeding  seasons. 

The  leaves  of  the  universal  gum-tree,  or  Eucalyptus 
of  Australia,  are  pointed,  each  leaf  seeming  to  grow 
separately,  and  they  are  so  disposed  as  to  give  the  least 
possible  shade.  Instead  of  presenting  one  surface  to  the 
sky  and  the  other  to  the  earth,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
trees  of  Europe,  they  are  often  arranged  vertically,  so 
that  both  sides  are  equally  exposed  to  the  light.  Thus 
the  gum-tree  has  a  pointed  and  sort  of  angular  appear- 
ance, the  leaves  being  thrust  out  in  all  directions  and  at 
every  angle.  The  blue  gum  and  some  others  have  the 
peculiarity  of  throwing  off  their  bark  in  white-gray  lon- 
gitudinal strips  or  ribbons,  which,  hanging  down  the 
branches,  give  them  a  singularly  ragged  look,  more  par- 
ticularly in  winter.  From  this  description,  it  will  be 
gathered  that  the  gum-tree  is  not  a  very  picturesque 
tree ;  nevertheless,  I  have  seen  some  in  the  far  bush 
which  were  finely  proportioned,  tall,  and  might  even  be 
called  handsome. 

The  fine  winter  weather  continues  for  months,  the 
days  being  dry  and  fine,  with  clear  blue  sky  overhead, 
until  about  the  end  of  August,  when  rain  begins  to  fall 
pretty  freely.  During  the  first  winter  I  spent  at  Major- 


A  USTRALIAN  WINTER— THE  FL  0  OD8.  m 

ca,  very  little  rain  fell  during  two  months,  and  the  coun- 
try was  getting  parched,  cracked,  and  brown.  Then  every 
body  prayed  for  rain,  for  the  sake  of  the  flocks  and  herds, 
and  the  growing  crops.  At  last  the  rain  came,  and  it 
came  with  a  vengeance. 

It  so  happened  that  about  the  middle  of  October  I  was 
invited  to  accompany  a  friend  to  a  ball  given  at  Clunes, 
a  township  about  fifteen  miles  distant,  and  we  decided 
to  accept  the  invitation.  As  there  had  been  no  rain  to 
speak  of  for  months,  the  tracks  through  the  bush  were 
dry  and  hard.  We  set  off  in  the  afternoon  in  a  one- 
horse  buggy,  and  got  down  to  Clunes  safely  before  it 
was  dark. 

Clunes  is  a.  rather  important  place,  the  centre  of  a 
considerable  gold-mining  district.  Like  most  new  up- 
country  towns,  it  consists  of  one  long  street,  and  this  one 
long  street  is  situated  in  a  deep  hollow,  close  to  a  creek. 
The  creek  was  now  all  but  dry,  like  the  other  creeks  or 
rivers  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  ball  was  given  in  a  large  square  building  belong- 
ing to  the  Rechabites,  situated  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
town.  The  dancing  began  about  half  past  nine,  and  was 
going  on  very  briskly,  when  there  was  a  sudden  cry  of 
"  fire."  All  rushed  to  the  door ;  and,  sure  enough,  there 
was  a  great  fire  raging  down  the  street,  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  off.  A  column  of  flame  shot  up  behind  the 
houses,  illuminating  the  whole  town.  The  gentlemen  of 
the  place  hastened  away  to  look  after  their  property,  and 
the  dance  seemed  on  the  point  of  breaking  up.  I  had 
no  property  to  save,  and  I  remained.  But  the  news 
came  from  time  to  time  that  the  fire  was  spreading ;  and 
here,  where  nearly  every  house  was  of  wood,  the  progress 


112  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

of  a  fire,  unless  checked,  is  necessarily  very  rapid.  Fears 
now  began  to  be  entertained  for  the  safety  of  the  town. 

The  fire  was  said  to  be  raging  in  the  main  street,  quite 
close  to  the  principal  inn.  Then  suddenly  I  remembered 
that  I  too  had  something  to  look  after.  There  was  the 
horse  and  buggy,  for  which  my  friend  and  I  were  respon- 
sible, as  well  as  our  changes  of  clothes.  I  ran  down  the 
street,  elbowing  my  way  through  the  crowd,  and  reached 
close  to  where  the  firemen  were  hard  at  work  plying 
their  engines.  Only  two  small  wooden  houses  inter- 
vened between  the  fire  and  the  inn.  I  hastened  into  the 
stable,  but  found  my  companion  had  been  there  before 
me.  He  had  got  out  the  horse  and  buggy,  and  our  prop- 
erty was  safe.  Eight  houses  had  been  burnt  down  along 
one  side  of  the  street  before  the  fire  was  got  under. 

After  this  excitement,  nothing  remained  but  to  go 
back  and  finish  the  dance.  Our  local  paper  at  Majorca 
— for  you  must  know  we  have  "  an  organ" — gave  us  a 
hard  hit,  comparing  us  to  Nero,  who  fiddled  while  Rome 
was  burning,  whereas  we  danced  while  Chines  was  burn- 
ing. But  we  did  not  resume  the  dance  till  the  fire  was 
extinguished.  However,  eveiy  thing  must  come  to  an 
end,  and  so  did  the  dance  at  about  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

Shortly  after  the  fire  the  rain  had  begun  to  fall,  and  it 
was  now  coming  down  steadily.  We  had  nothing  for  it 
but  to  drive  back  the  fifteen  miles  to  Majorca,  as  we  had 
to  be  at  business  by  10  o'clock.  We  put  on  our  heaviest 
things,  and  set  off  just  as  the  first  streaks  of  daylight  ap- 
peared. As  we  drove  down  the  street,  we  passed  the 
smouldering  remains  of  the  fire.  Where,  the  night  be- 
fore, I  had  been  talking  to  a  chemist  across  his  counter, 


I 
A  USTRALIAN  WINTER-  THE  FL  0  OZ>$.  1 1 3 

there  was  nothing  but  ashes ;  every  thing  had  been  burnt 
to  the  ground.  Farther  on  were  the  charred  timbers  and 
smoking  ruins  of  the  house  at  which  the  fire  had  been 
stayed. 

The  rain  came  down  heavier  and  heavier.  It  seemed 
to  fall  solid,  in  masses,  soaking  through  rugs,  top-coats, 
and  water-proofs,  that  we  had  before  deemed  impervious. 
However,  habit  is  every  thing,  and  when  once  we  got 
thoroughly  soaked,  we  became  comparatively  indifferent 
to  the  rain,  which  never  ceased  falling.  We  were  soon 
in  the  bush,  where  there  was  scarcely  a  track  to  guide  us. 
But  we  hastened  on,  knowing  that  every  moment  in- 
creased the  risk  of  our  missing  the  way  or  being  hin- 
dered by  the  flood.  We  splashed  along  through  the  mud 
and  water.  As  we  drove  through  a  gully,  we  observed 
that  what  had  before  been  a  dry  track  was  now  changed 
into  a  torrent.  Now  hold  the  mare  well  in !  We  are  in 
the  water,  and  it  rushes  against  her  legs  as  if  striving  to 
pull  her  down.  But  she  takes  willingly  to  the  collar 
again,  and  with  one  more  good  pull  lands  us  safely  on 
the  other  side,  out  of  reach  of  the  ugly,  yellow,  foaming 
torrent. 

By  the  gray  light  of  the  morning  we  saw  the  water 
pouring  down  the  sides  of  the  high  ground  as  we  passed. 
It  was  clear  that  we  must  make  haste  if  we  would  reach 
Majorca  before  the  waters  rose.  We  knew  that  at  one 
part  of  the  road  we  should  have  to  drive  near  the  bank 
of  the  creek,  which  was  sure  to  be  flooded  very  soon. 
Our  object,  accordingly,  was  to  push  on  so  as  to  pass  this 
most  perilous  part  of  our  journey. 

On  we  drove,  crossing  dips  in  the  track  where  foam- 
ing streams  were  now  rushing  along,  while  they  roared 


114  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

down  the  gullies  on  either  side.  It  was  fortunate  that 
my  companion  knew  the  road  so  well,  as,  in  trying  to 
avoid  the  deeper  places,  we  might  have  run  some  risk 
from  the  abandoned  shafts  which  lay  in  our  way.  At 
last  we  got  safely  across  the  water,  alongside  the  swollen 
creek,  now  raging  in  fury ;  and  glad  I  was  when,  rising 
the  last  hill,  and  looking  down  from  the  summit,  I  saw 
the  low-roofed  houses  of  Majorca  before  me. 

I  found  that  we  had  been  more  fortunate  than  a  party 
that- left  Clunes  a  little  later,  who  had  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty in  reaching  home  by  reason  of  the  flood.  At  some 
places  the  gentlemen  had  to  get  out  of  the  carriages  into 
the  water  up  to  their  middle,  and  sound  the  depth  of  the 
holes  in  advance,  before  allowing  the  horses  to  proceed, 
and  hours  passed  before  they  succeeded  in  reaching  their 
destination. 

During  the  course  of  the  day  we  learned  by  telegraph 
— for  telegraphs  are  well  established  all  over  the  colony 
— that  the  main  street  of  Clunes  had  become  turned  into 
a  river.  The  water  was  seven  feet  deep  in  the  very  ho- 
tel where  we  had  dressed  for  the  ball !  All  the  back 
bedrooms,  stables,  and  outbuildings  had  been  washed 
away,  and  carried  down  the  creek,  and  thousands  of 
pounds'  worth  of  damage  had  been  done  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  town. 

A  few  days  later,  when  the  rain  had  ceased  and  the 
flood  had  subsided,  I  went  down  to  Deep  Creek  to  see 
something  of  the  damage  that  had  been  done.  On  either 
side,  a  wide  stretch  of  ground  was  covered  by  a  thick 
deposit  of  sludge,  from  one  to  four  feet  deep.  This  was 
the  debris  or  crushings  which  the  rain  had  washed  down 
from  the  large  mining  claims  above ;  and  as  it  was  bar- 


A  USTRALIAN  WINTER— THE  FLOODS.  115 

ren  stuff,  mere  crushed  quartz,  it  ruined  for  the  time  ev- 
ery bit  of  land  it  covered.  The  scene  which  the  track 
along  the  creek  presented  was  most  pitiable.  Fences 
had  been  carried  away,  crops  beaten  down,  and  huge 
logs  lay  about,  with  here  and  there  bits  of  furniture, 
houses,  and  farm-gear. 

I  find  the  floods  have  extended  over  the  greater  part 
of  the  colony.  Incalculable  damage  has  been  done,  and 
several  lives  have  been  lost.  The  most  painful  incident 
of  all  occurred  at  Ballarat,  where  the  miners  were  at 
work  on  one  of  the  claims,  when  a  swollen  dam  burst  its 
banks  and  suddenly  flooded  the  workings.  Those  who 
were  working  on  the  top  of  the  shaft  fled ;  but  down  be- 
low, ten  of  the  miners  were  at  work  at  a  high  level,  in 
drives  many  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  claim.  The 
water  soon  filling  up  the  drives  through  which  they  had 
passed  from  the  main  shaft,  the  men  were  unable  to  get 
out.  They  remained  there,  cooped  up  in  their  narrow, 
dark  workings,  without  food,  or  drink,  or  light,  for  three 
days,  until  at  last  the  water  was  got  under  by  the  steam- 
pumps,  and  they  were  reached.  Two  had  died  of  sheer 
privation,  and  the  rest  were  got  out  more  dead  than  alive. 

The  poor  Chinamen's  gardens  down  by  the  creek  un- 
der Gibraltar  had  also  suffered  severely  by  the  flood. 
M'Cullum's  Creek,  in  ordinary  seasons,  is  only  a  tiny 
stream,  consisting  of  water-holes  communicating  with 
each  other  by  a  brook ;  but  during  a  flood  it  becomes 
converted  into  a  raging  torrent,  and  you  can  hear  its  roar 
a  mile  off.  Within  about  five  hours  the  water  in  it  had 
risen  not  less  than  twenty  feet !  This  will  give  you  an 
idea  of  the  tremendous  force  and  rapidity  of  the  rain- 
fall in  this  country.  Of  course  the  damage  done  was 
great,  in  M'Cullum's  as  in  Deep  Creek.  A  heavy  timber 


HG  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

bridge  Lad  been  carried  quite  away,  not  a  trace  of  it  re- 
maining. Many  miners'  huts  in  the  low  ground  had  been 
washed  away,  while  others,  situated  in  more  sheltered 
places,  out  of  the  rush  of  the  torrent,  had  been  quite  sub- 
merged, the  occupants  saving  themselves  by  hasty  flight 
in  the  early  morning,  some  of  them  having  been  only 
wakened  up  by  the  water  coming  into  their  beds. 

One  eccentric  character,  a  Scotchman,  who  determined 
to  stick  to  his  domicile,  took  refuge  on  his  parlor  table 
as  the  water  was  rising.  Then,  as  it  got  still  higher,  he 
placed  a  chair  upon  the  table,  and  stood  up  on  it,  the 
water  continuing  to  rise,  over  his  legs,  then  up  and  up ; 
yet  still  he  stuck  to  his  chair.  His  only  regret,  he  after- 
ward said,  was  that  he  could  not  get  at  his  whisky  bot- 
tle, which  he  discerned  upon  a  high  shelf  temptingly  op- 
posite him,  but  beyond  his  reach.  The  water  at  last  be- 
gan to  fall ;  he  waded  up  to  his  neck  for  the  bottle ;  and 
soon  the  water  was  out  of  the  house,  for  its  fall  is  almost 
as  sudden  as  its  rise. 

I  was  sorry  for  the  poor  Chinamen,  whom  I  found, 
two  days  later,  still  wandering  about  amid  the  ruins  of 
their  gardens.  Their  loamy  beds  had  been  quite  washed 
away,  and  their  fences  and  some  of  their  huts  carried 
clean  down  the  creek.  One  of  them  told  me  he  had  lost 
£30  in  notes,  which  he  had  concealed  in  his  cabin,  but 
the  flood  had  risen  so  quickly  that  he  had,  been  unable 
to  save  it.  I  picked  up  a  considerable-sized  stone  that 
had  been  washed  on  to  the  Chinamen's  ground :  it  was 
a  piece  of  lava,  thrown  from  one  of  the  volcanic  hills 
which  bound  the  plain— how  many  thousands  of  years 
ago !  These  volcanic  stones  are  so  light  and  porous  that 
they  swim  like  corks,  and  they  abound  in  many  parts  o»c 
this  neighborhood. 


SPRING,  S  UMMER,  AND  HAR  VEST.  1 1 7 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

SPRING,  SUMMER,  AND    HARVEST. 

Spring  Vegetation. — The  Bush  in  Spring. — Garden  Flowers. — An  Even- 
ing Walk.  —  Australian  Moonlight.  —  The  Hot  North  Wind. —The 
Plague  of  Flies. — Bush  Fires.  —  Summer  at  Christmas. — Australian 
Fruits. — Ascent  of  Mount  Greenock. — Australian  Wine. — Harvest. — 
A  Squatter's  Farm. — Harvest-Home  Celebration. — Aurora  Australis. 
— Autumn  Rains. 

AFTER  a  heavy  rainfall  the  ground  becomes  well  soak- 
ed with  water,  and  vegetation  proceeds  with  great  rapid- 
ity. Although  there  may  be  an  occasional  fall  of  rain 
at  intervals,  there  is  no  recurrence  of  the  flood.  The  days 
are  bright  and  clear,  the  air  dry,  and  the  weather  most 
enjoyable.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  when  one  season 
begins  and  another  ends  here ;  but  I  should  say  that 
spring  begins  in  September.  The  evenings  are  then 
wrarm  enough  to  enable  us  to  dispense  with  fires,  while 
at  midday  it  is  sometimes  positively  hot. 

Generally  speaking,  spring-time  is  the  most  delightful 
season  in  Australia.  The  beautiful  young  vegetation  of 
the  year  is  then  in  full  progress ;  the  orchards  are  cov- 
ered with  blossom ;  the  fresh,  bright  green  of  the  grass 
makes  a  glorious  carpet  in  the  bush,  when  the  trees  put 
off  their  faded  foliage  of  the  previous  year,  and  assume 
their  bright  spring  livery.  In  some  places  the  bush  is 
carpeted  with  flowers — violet  flowers  of  the  pea  and  vetch 
species.  There  is  also  a  beautiful  plant,  with  flowers  of 


118  RO  UND  THE  WORLD. 

vivid  scarlet,  that  runs  along  the  ground ;  and  in  some 
places  the  sarsaparillas,  with  their  violet  flowers,  hang  in 
festoons  from  the  gum  -  tree  branches.  And  when  the 
wattle-bushes  (a  variety  of  the  acacia  tribe)  are  covered 
over  with  their  yellow  bloom,  loading  the  air  with  their 
peculiarly  sweet  perfume,  and  the  wild  flowers  are  out 
in  their  glory,  a  walk  or  a  ride  through  the  bush  is  one 
of  the  most  enjoyable  of  pleasures. 

I  must  also  mention  that  all  kinds  of  garden  flowers, 
such  as  we  have  at  home,  come  to  perfection  in  our 
gardens  here,  such  as  anemones,  ranunculuses,  ixias,  and 
gladiolas.  All  the  early  spring  flowers — violets,  lilacs, 
primroses,  hyacinths,  and  tulips  —  bloom  most  freely. 
Roses  also  flower  splendidly  in  spring,  and  even  through 
the  summer,  when  not  placed  in  too  exposed  situations. 
At  Maryborough  our  doctor  had  a  grand  selection  of  the 
best  roses — Lord  Raglan,  John  Hopper,  Marshal  Neil,  La 
Reine  Hortense,  and  such  like — which,  by  careful  train- 
ing and  good  watering,  grew  green,  thick,  and  strongly, 
and  gave  out  a  good  bloom  nearly  all  the  summer 
through. 

By  the  beginning  of  November  full  summer  seems  al- 
ready upon  us,  it  is  so  hot  at  midday.  Only  toward  the 
evening,  when  the  sun  goes  down — as  it  does  almost  sud- 
denly, with  very  little  twilight — it  feels  a  little  chilly,  and 
even  cold.  By  the  middle  of  the  month,  however,  it  has 
grown  very  warm  indeed,  and  we  begin  to  have  a  touch 
of  the  hot  wind  from  the  north.  I  shall  not  soon  forget 
my  first  experience  of  walking  in  the  face  of  that  wind. 
It  was  like  encountering  a  blast  from  the  mouth  of  a 
furnace ;  it  made  my  cheeks  quite  tingle,  and  it  was  so 
dry  that  I  felt  as  if  the  skin  would  peel  off. 


SPUING,  SUMMER,  AND  HAS  VEST.  j  1 9 

On  the  16th  of  November  I  found  the  thermometer 
was  98°  in  the  shade.  Try  and  remember  if  you  ever 
had  a  day  in  England  when  it  was  so  hot,  and  how  intol- 
erable it  must  have  been !  Here,  however,  the  moisture 
is  absent,  and  we  are  able  to  bear  the  heat  without  much 
inconvenience,  though  the  fine  white  dust  sometimes 
blows  in  at  the  open  door,  covering  ledger,  cash-book, 
and  every  thing.  On  the  12th  of  December  I  wrote 
home, "The  weather  is  frightfully  hot;  the  ledger  al- 
most scorches  my  hands  as  1  turn  over  the  leaves." 
Then  again,  on  the  23d,  I  wrote  that  "the  heat  has  risen 
to  105°,  and  even  110°,  in  the  shade ;  yet,  in  consequence 
of  the  dryness  and  purity  of  the  atmosphere,  I  bear  it 
easily,  and  even  go  out  to  walk." 

My  favorite  walk  in  the  bush,  in  early  summer,  is  to- 
ward the  summit  of  a  range  of  hills  on  the  south  of  the 
township.  I  set  out  a  little  before  sunset,  when  the  heat 
of  the  day  is  well  over,  and  the  evening  begins  to  feel 
deliciously  cool.  All  is  quiet;  there  is  nothing  to  be 
heard  but  the  occasional  note  of  the  piping  crow,  and 
the  chatter  of  a  passing  flock  of  parroquets.  As  I 
ascend  the  hill,  passing  an  abandoned  quartz  mine,  even 
these  sounds  are  absent,  and  perfect  stillness  prevails. 
From  the  summit  an  immense  prospect  lies  before  me. 
Six  miles  away  to  the  south,  across  the  plain,  lies  the 
town  of  Talbot ;  and  beyond  it  the  forest  seems  to  ex- 
tend to  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenees,  standing  up  blue  in  the 
distance  some  forty  miles  away.  The  clouds  hang  over 
the  mountain  summits,  and  slowly  the  monarch  of  day 
descends  seemingly  into  a  dark  rift,  leaving  a  track  of 
golden  light  behind  him.  The  greeny-blue  sky  above 
shines  and  glows  for  a  few  minutes  longer,  and  then  all 


120  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

is  suffused  in  a  soft  and  mournful  gray.  The  change  is 
almost  sudden.  The  day  is  over,  and  night  has  already 
come  on.  Darkness  follows  daylight  so  suddenly  that  in 
nights  when  there  is  no  moon,  and  it  is  cloudy,  one  has 
to  hasten  homeward,  so  as  not  to  miss  the  track,  or  run 
the  risk  of  getting  benighted  in  the  bush. 

But,  when  the  moon  is  up,  the  nights  in  Australia  are 
as  brilliant  as  the  days.  The  air  is  cool,  the  sky  cloud- 
less, and  walking  in  the  bush  is  then  most  delightful. 
The  trees  are  gaunt  and  weird-like,  the  branches  stand- 
ing in  bold  relief  against  the  bright  moonlight.  Yet  all 
is  so  changed,  the  distant  landscape  is  so  soft  and  lovely, 
that  one  can  scarcely  believe  that  it  is  the  same  scene  we 
have  so  often  looked  upon  in  broad  daylight.  It  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  the  Australian  moonlight  is  so 
bright  that  one  may  easily  read  a  book  by  it  of  moder- 
ately-sized type. 

But  Australian  summer  weather  has  also  its  desagre- 
mens.  The  worst  of  these  is  the  hot  north  wind,  of  which 
I  have  already  described  my  foretaste ;  though  old  colo- 
nists tell  me  that  these  have  become  much  less  intolera- 
ble, and  occur  much  seldomer  since  the  interior  of  the 
country  has  been  settled  and  comparatively  cultivated. 
But  the  hot  winds  are  still  bad  to  bear,  as  I  can  testify. 
They  blow  from  the  parched  lands  of  Central  Australia, 
and  bring  with  them  clouds  of  dust  and  insects.  I  should 
think  they  must  resemble  the  African  simoom.  The 
Melbourne  people  call  these  burning  blasts  the  "brick- 
fielders."  The  parching  wind  makes  one  hot  and  fever- 
ish, and  to  fly  to  the  bar  for  cooling  drinks ;  but  there 
even  the  glasses  are  hot  to  the  touch.  Your  skin  becomes 
so  dry  and  crisp  that  you  feel  as  if  it  would  crackle  off. 


SPUING,  SUMMER,  AND  HARVEST.  J21 

The  temperature  rises  to  120° —  a  pretty  tidy  degree  of 
heat !  There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  fly  wkhin  doors, 
shut  up  every  cranny  to  keep  out  the  hot  dust,  and  re- 
main in  darkness. 

While  the  hot  wind  lasts  the  air  is  of  a  heavy  copper 
color.  Every  thing  looks  yellow  and  withered.  The 
sun  appears  through  the  dust  dull  red,  and  no  bigger 
than  the  moon,  just  as  it  does  on  a  foggy  morning  in 
London.  Perhaps,  after  an  hour  or  two  of  this  choking 
heat,  the  hot  wind,  with  its  cloud  of  dust,  passes  away 
southward,  and  we  have  a  deliciously  cool  evening,  which 
we  enjoy  all  the  more  contrasted  with  the  afternoon's 
discomfort.  The  longest  time  I  have  known  the  hot 
wind  to  last  was  two  days,  but  it  is  usually  over  in  a  few 
hours.  The  colonials  say  that  these  winds  are  even  of 
use  by  blowing  the  insect  tribes  out  to  sea,  and  that  but 
for  them  the  crops  would,  in  summer  time,  be  complete- 
ly eaten  away. 

Another  source  of  discomfort  is  the  flies  in  summer. 
They  abound  every  where.  They  fill  the  rooms,  and  as 
you  pass  along  the  streets  they  rise  in  clouds.  The  ceil- 
ings are  sometimes  black  with  them,  and  no  food  can  be 
left  exposed  for  an  instant  without  the  certainty  of  its 
being  covered  with  them.  There  is  one  disgusting  yel- 
low-bodied blow-fly,  which  drops  his  maggots  with  extra- 
ordinary fecundity.  The  flies  are  also  a  nuisance  in  the 
bush,  where  veils  are  usually  worn  when  driving  to  pre- 
vent their  annoyance ;  and  in  the  swamps  there  are  vig- 
orous and  tormenting  musquitoes,  as  I  have  elsewhere 
described. 

After  the  parching  heat  of  summer,  and  especially 
after  the  excessive  dryness  occasioned  by  the  hot  winds, 

F 


!22  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

the  whole  face  of  the  country  becomes,  as  it  were,  com- 
bustible, and  bush-fires  have  at  such  times  burst  forth 
apparently  spontaneously,  and  spread  with  great  rapidity. 
The  "  Black  Thursday"  of  the  colony,  some  fifteen  years 
since,  when  fire  covered  many  hundreds  of  miles,  is  still 
remembered  with  horror ;  but,  as  settlement  and  cultiva- 
tion have  extended,  these  sudden  outbreaks  of  fire  have 
become  comparatively  rare. 

When  Christmas  arrives,  summer  is  at  its  height.  It 
finds  us  perhaps  gasping  with  heat,  sitting  in  our  shirt- 
sleeves for  coolness,  and  longing  for  the  cool  evening. 
Yet  there  are  few  who  do  not  contrive  to  have  their 
Christmas  roast  and  plum-pudding,  as  at  home.  As 
strawberries  are  then  in  their  prime  and  in  great  abun- 
dance, many  hold  strawberry  picnics  on  Christmas  Day, 
while  sober  church-goers  enjoy  them  at  home. 

The  abundance  of  fruits  of  all  kinds  affords  one  of 
the  best  proofs  of  the  geniality  of  the  climate.  First 
come  strawberries,  followed  by  abundance  of  plums, 
peaches,  and  apricots,  and  afterward  by  pears  and  ap- 
ples in  plenty.  Our  manager's  garden  at  Maryborough 
is  a  sight  worth  seeing  in  summer  time.  Having  a  plen- 
tiful supply  of  water,  he  is  able  to  bring  his  fruit  to  great 
perfection.  The  plum  and  peach  trees  seemed  almost 
overburdened  with  their  delicious  loads.  Through  the 
centre  of  the  garden  is  a  cool  green  alley,  shaded  with 
a  vine -covered  trellis.  The  bunches  of  fast-ripening 
grapes  are  hanging  on  all  sides,  and  promise  an  abun- 
dant crop. 

Some  of  my  pleasantest  associations  are  connected 
with  the  January  afternoons  spent  in  the  orchards  about 
Majorca.  One  day  a  party  of  us  drove  out  in  search  of 


SPRING,  SUMMER,  AND  HARVEST.  ]  23 

a  good  fruit-garden.  We  went  over  the  hill  to  the  south, 
and  down  the  long  valley  on  the  Talbot  road,  raising- 
clouds  of  white  dust  as  we  went ;  then  up  another  lull, 
from  the  summit  of  which,  down  by  the  banks  of  the 
creek,  and  almost  close  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Greenock, 
we  discovered  the  garden  of  which  we  had  come  in 
search.  We  descended  and  entered  the  garden,  still  cov- 
ered with  greenery,  notwithstanding  the  tremendous  heat, 
and  there  found  the  fruit  in  perfection. 

Mount  Greenock  is  one  of  the  many  volcanic  hills 
which  abound  in  this  neighborhood.  It  is  almost  a  per- 
fect cone,  some  eight  or  nine  hundred  feet  high.  "  What 
a  splendid  prospect  from  the  summit !"  said  one  of  my 
companions.  "  Well,  let  us  go  up ;  there  will  probably 
be  a  fine  breeze  on  the  top."  "  Too  hot  by  far,"  was  the 
answer.  "  Not  at  all,"  said  I ;  "  the  thing  is  to  be  done." 
"  Well,"  said  my  friend, "you  may  go  if  you  like,  but  if 
you  do,  and  are  back  in  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  I'll 
undertake  to  shout  fruits  and  drinks  for  the  remainder 
of  the  afternoon." 

A  noble  offer !  So  I  immediately  stripped,  took  one 
look  at  the  steep  hill  above,  the  withered  grass  upon  it 
almost  glittering  in  the  sun,  and  started.  I  was  soon 
across  the  nearly  dry  creek,  and,  beginning  the  ascent, 
went-  on  pretty  steadily  until  I  was  within  about  two  hun- 
dred feet  of  t!fb  summit,  when  the  great  heat  began  to 
tell  upon  me.  I  stopped,  looked  down  the  steep  hill  up 
which  I  had  come,  saw  what  a  little  way  farther  compar- 
atively I  had  to  go,  and  clambered  upward  again.  It 
was  still  a  long  and  fatiguing  pull,  mostly  over  loose 
lava-stones ;  but  at  last  I  reached  the  top,  panting  and 
out  of  breath.  After  such  a-  tremendous  pull  as  that,  I 


124  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

do  not  think  any  one  will  venture  to  say  that  my  lungs 
can  be  unsound. 

I  looked  round  at  the  magnificent  view.  It  was,  in- 
deed, well  worth  climbing  the  hill  to  see.  I  first  turned 
my  eyes  northward  toward  Majorca.  There  it  was,  with 
its  white  streak  of  pipe-clay  above  it.  Beyond,  in  the 
distance,  lay  Carisbrooke,  with  the  bald  hill  standing  out 
in  bold  relief  behind  it.  Nearer  at  hand  are  the  mining 
works  of  several  companies,  with  their  engine-sheds  sur- 
rounded by  huge  piles  of  refuse.  Turning  my  eyes 
southward,  I  saw  Talbot,  about  a  mile  off,  looking  quite 
an  important  place,  with  its  numerous  red-brick  build- 
ings and  clusters  of  comfortable-looking  houses.  On  the 
west,  toward  Maryborough,  lay  a  wide  extent  of  bush, 
clad  in  its  never-varying  dark  green  verdure.  The  sky 
was  clear,  blue,  and  cloudless ;  and  though  the  sun  was 
in  all  his  strength,  the  light  breeze  that  played  round  the 
top  of  the  mount  made  the  air  pleasant  and  exhilarating 
to  breathe. 

I  shortly  turned  my  steps  down  hill,  tacking  and  zig- 
zagging in  the  descent  because  of  the  steepness.  I  was 
soon  at  the  foot  of  the  mount,  across  the  brook,  and  seat- 
ed in  the  garden,  enjoying  the  fresh  fruit,  with  an  occa- 
sional draught  of  colonial  wine. 

Apropos  of  wine  and  grapes.  It  is  anticipated  by 
those  wjio  have  had  the  longest  experience  of  the  cli- 
mate and  soil  of  Victoria,  that  it  is  not  unlikely  before 
long  to  become  one  of  the  principal  wine-growing  coun- 
tries in  the  world.  The  vine  grows  luxuriantly,  and  the 
fruit  reaches  perfection  in  all  parts  of  the  colony,  but 
more  particularly  in  the  fine  district  situated  along  the 
River  Murray.  Most  of  the  farmers  up-country  make 


SPRING,  SUMMER,  AND  HARVEST.  125 

their  own  wines  for  home  use.  It  is  a  rough,  wholesome 
sort  of  claret.  But  when  the  Germans,  who  are  well  ac- 
customed to  the  culture  of  the  vine,  give  the  subject 
their  attention,  a  much  finer  quality  is  produced.  There 
are  already  several  vineyard  associations  at  work,  who 
expect  before  long  to  export  largely  to  England,  though 
at  present  the  greater  part  of  the  wine  grown  is  con- 
sumed in  the  colony  .•  A  friend  of  mine  at  Melbourne 
has  planted  an  extensive  vineyard  at  Sunbury,  some  thir- 
ty miles  north  of  the  city,  cultivated  by  Swiss  vignerons ; 
and,  though  I  am  no  judge  of  wine,  the  Burgundy  which 
I  tasted  at  his  table  was  very  grateful  to  my  inexperi- 
enced palate,  and  I  was  told  that  it  was  of  very  superior 
quality.* 

After  summer  comes  harvest,  when  the  farmer  gathers 
in  the  produce  of  his  year's  industry,  takes  stock,  and 
counts  his  gains.  Harvest  is  well  over  by  the  end  of 
February.  When  I  rode  out  to  Perry's  Farm  on  the 
second  day  of  March,  I  found  the  fields  already  cleared, 
and  the  grain  housed.  All  the  extra  hands  had  gone. 
Only  a  week  before,  the  fields  had  been  busy  with  reap- 
ers, binders,  and  machine-men,  for  whom  enormous  meat 
pies  had  to  be  cooked  and  great  joints  of  meat  roasted ; 
for  laboring  men  in  Australia  are  accustomed  to  con- 
sume much  larger  quantities  of  flesh  meat  than  at  home. 

The  scene  is  now  perfectly  quiet.  The  cows  are  com- 
ing in  to  be  milked,  and  a  very  fine  lot  they  are — fifteen 
or  more.  The  great  stacks  of  straw  are  shining  in  the 

*  The  kinds  of  wine  principally  produced  in  the  colony  are  Burgundy, 
Claret,  white  wine  of  the  Sauterne  kind,  and  a  very  excellent  sort  of  still 
Champagne.  There  are  now  regular  autumn  wine-sales  at  Melbourne  and 
Geelong,  at  which  large  quantities  are  sold,  and  good  prices  realized.  The 
total  quantity  produced  in  1870  was  629,219  gallons. 


126  BOUND  THE  WOULD. 

red  sunlight,  for  the  sun  is  getting  low,  though 'it  is  still 
warm.  We  go  up  to  the  farm-house,  having  hung  our 
horses'  reins  over  the  rail,  and  saunter  in  through  the 
back  door.  Here  no  handing  in  of  cards  is  required,  for 
we  know  we  are  sure  of  being  made  welcome ;  and  in 
Australia  hospitality  is  boundless.  We  taste  the  grapes, 
which  are  just  ripe,  and  wash  them  down  with  a  glass  of 
home-brewed  mead.  But  beware  erf  that  mead !  Though 
it  looks  very  innocent,  it  is  really  very  strong  and  heady. 

The  farmer  then  took  us  into  his  barn,  and  proudly 
pointed  with  his  heavy  whip  to  the  golden  grain  piled  up 
on  the  floor ;  then  over  his  stable,  to  look  at  his  horses. 
There  we  found  our  owii  nags,  which  had  been  taken  in 
for  a  feed.  Bringing  them  out,  and  mounting  again,  we 
rode  on  a  little  farther  to  another  farm  situated  on  a  hill- 
side a  little  higher  up  the  valley. 

The  farm-house  here  is  a  little  gem  of  a  dwelling,  sit- 
uated in  a  nice  shady  place,  in  the  midst  of  a  luxurious 
garden.  Here,  too,  we  dismounted  and  entered  the  house, 
for  we  knew  the  host — a  most  genial  fellow,  whose  hon- 
est English  face  it  was  always  a  pleasure  to  see,  it  was  so 
full  of  kindness  and  good  humor.  We  took  a  stroll 
round  the  garden  while  the  sun  was  setting,  and  then 
turned  in  for  a  cup  of  good  tea,  which  "  missus"  had  got 
ready  for  us. 

One  of  our  entertainer's  greatest  delights  was  in  talk- 
ing about  "  old  times" — though  they  were  only  a  year  or 
two  old  after  all — yet  "  new  chums"  were  always  ready 
to  sit  listening  to  his  tales  open-mouthed.  He  had  been 
a  digger,  like  most  of  the  farmers  hereabout,  and  he  told 
us  how  he  was  the  first  to  find  the  gold  at  the  great  rush 
at  Maryborough ;  how  he  saw  the  gold  glistening  in  the 


SPRING,  SUMMER,  AND  HARVEST.  127 

gravel  one  day  that  he  was  out  in  the  bush ;  how,  for 
weeks,  he  lived  quietly,  but  digging  and  gathering  gold 
early  and  late,  until,  having  made  his  little  golden  har- 
vest, enough  to  buy  and  stock  a  farm,  he  went  and  gave 
information  to  the  commissioner  as  to  the  find,  and  then 
what  a '  rush  of  thousands  of  diggers  there  was  to  the 
ground !  how  streets  sprang  up,  stores  were  opened,  ho- 
tels were  built,  and  at  last  Maryborough  became  the  great 
place  that  it  is — the  thriving  centre  of  a  large  mining  as 
well  as  agricultural  district. 

In  such  old  diggers'  talk  two  hours  had  passed  almost 
before  we  were  aware,  and  then  we  rose  to  go.  The 
horses  were  brought  out,  and  we  mounted  and  rode  cau- 
tiously home,  for  it  was  now  quite  dark.  It  was  a  fine 
mild  night,  and  we  had  plenty  of  time,  so  we  talked  and 
laughed  our  way  through  the  bush,  our  voices  the  only 
sounds  to  be  heard,  except  it  might  be  the  noise  of  a  bird 
rising  on  the  wing,  startled  from  its  perch  by  our  merry 
laughter,  or  the  clatter  of  our  horses'  hoofs  on  the  hard 
ground  as  we  trotted  along. 

Another  day  I  drove  out  with  one  of  the  neighboring 
farmers  to  his  place  on  the  other  side  of  the  Deep  Creek. 
At  this  late  season  the  brush  is  dried  up  and  melancholy 
looking — very  different  from  what  it  is  in  the  lovely 
spring-time.  Now  the  bush  seems  dead-alive,  fast  put- 
ting on  its  winter  garb,  while  withered  stalks  of  grass 
cover  the  plains.  We  pass  the  neighborhood  of  a  large 
squatter's  station,  the  only  one  about  here,  the  run  being 
very  large,  extending  for  a  great  distance  over  the  plains. 
It  consists  of  not  less  than  60,000  acres  of  purchased  land 
and  60,000  acres  of  government  land,  on  which  the  squat- 
ter exercises  the  usual  rights  of  pasturage. 


128  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

Crossing  the  creek  by  a  wooden  bridge,  we  were  short- 
ly at  rny  friend's  farm.  We  heard  the  buzzing  noise  of 
the  threshing  machine  in  the  adjoining  fields.  There 
was  the  engine  busily  at  work,  just  as  at  home.  Steam 
penetrates  every  where — across  the  seas,  over  the  moun- 
tains, and  into  the  bush.  We  soon  came  up  to  the  en- 
gine where  the  men  were  at  work.  It  was  pretty  severe 
under  a  hot  sun,  amid  clouds  of  dust  and  bits  of  chaff 
flying  about  from  the  thresher.  Many  of  the  men  wore 
spectacles  to  protect  their  eyes  from  the  glare  of  the 
sun's  heat. 

The  engine  was  just  about  to  stop,  to  allow  the  men  to 
have  their  midday  spell  of  rest,  and  they  were  soon  at 
their  meal  of  meat  and  cold  tea.  The  farmer  came  upon 
some  of  the  men  smoking  quite  unconcernedly  beside  the 
great  piles  of  straw,  and  wroth  he  was  at  their  careless- 
ness, as  well  he  might  be,  for,  had  a  fire  burst  out,  it 
would  have  destroyed  straw,  wheat,  engine,  and  all.  The 
wheat  seemed  of  excellent  quality,  and  the  farmer  was 
quite  pleased  with  his  crop,  which  is  not  always  the  case 
with  farmers. 

We  afterward  went  over  the  farm  buildings,  which  are 
neat  and  substantial.  A  large  stone  barn  has  at  one  end 
of  it  a  kitchen  attached,  where  the  men's  victuals  are 
cooked  during  harvest  time,  and  close  at  hand  is  a  com- 
fortable stone  cottage  for  the  accommodation  of  the  man- 
ager and  his  family. 

After  going  over  the  farm  I  had  a  refreshing  bathe 
in  the  creek  at  a  convenient  place,  though  I  have  heard 
that  it  is  not  unusual  for  bathers  who  get  into  a  muddy 
water-hole  to  be  startled  by  a  sudden  sting,  and,  when 
they  emerge  from  the  water,  to  find  half  a  dozen  hungry 


SPRING,  SUMMER,  AND  HARVEST.  129 

leeches  hanging  on  to  their  skin ;  for  leeches  are  plenti- 
ful in  Australia,  and  even  form  an  article  of  considera- 
ble export  to  England. 

We  afterward  went  out  to  Perry's  harvest  dance  and 
supper,  with  which  the  gathering  in  of  the  crops  is  usu- 
ally celebrated,  as  at  home.  The  wheat  had  by  this  time 
all  been  sold  and  cleared  out  of  the  barn,  and  it  was 
now  rigged  up  as  a  ballroom.  We  had  a  good  long 
spell  of  dancing,  to  the  music  of  a  violin  and  a  bush  pi- 
ano. Perhaps  you  don't  know  what  a  bush  piano  is  ? 
It  consists  of  a  number  of  strings  arranged  on  a  board, 
tightened  up  and  tuned,  upon  which  the  player  beats 
with  a  padded  hammer,  bringing  out  sounds  by  no  means 
unmusical.  At  all  events,  the  bush  piano  served  to  eke 
out  the  music  of  our  solitary  violin. 

After  the  dance  there  was  the  usual  bounteous  sup- 
per, with  plenty  to  eat  and  drink  for  all ;  and  then  our 
horses  were  brought  out,  and  we  rode  homeward.  It 
was  the  end  of  harvest,  j  ust  the  time  of  the  year  when, 
though  the  days  were  still  warm,  the  nights  were  begin- 
ning to  be  cool  and  sharp,  as  they  are  about  the  begin- 
ning of  October  in  England.  One  night  there  was  a 
most  splendid  aurora,  one  of  the  finest,  it  is  said,  that  had 
been  seen,  even  in  Australia.  A  huge  rose-colored  cur- 
tain seemed  to  be  let  down  across  half  the  sky,  striped 
with  bright  golden  color,  shaded  off  with  a  deeper  yel- 
low. Beneath  the  red  curtain,  close  to  the  horizon,  was 
a  small  semicircle  of  bright  greenish-yellow,  just  as  if 
the  sun  were  about  to  rise ;  and  bright  gleams  of  light 
shot  up  from  it  far  into  the  sky,  making  the  rose-colored 
clouds  glow  again.  The  brilliancy  extended  upward  al- 
most to  the  zenith,  the  stars  glimmering  through  the 

F  2 


130  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

darker  or  less  bright  part  of  the  sky.  Though  I  have 
mentioned  "  clouds,"  there  was  not  a  cloud  to  be  seen ; 
the  clouds  I  name  were  really  masses  of  brilliant  light, 
obscuring  the  deep  blue  beyond.  I  feel  the  utter  pow- 
erlessness  of  words  to  describe  the  magnificence  of  the 
scene. 

The  weather-wise  people  predicted  a  change  of  weath- 
er, and,  sure  enough,  a  change  shortly  followed.  We 
had  had  no  rain  for  weeks,  but  early  on  the  second 
morning  after  the  appearance  of  the  aurora  I  was  awak- 
ened by  the  noise  of  heavy  rain  falling  upon  our  slight 
iron  roof.  I  found  a  tremendous  storm  raging,  and  the 
rain  falling  in  masses.  Our  large  iron  tank  was  com- 
pletely filled  in  half  an  hour,  and,  overflowing,  it  ran  in 
upon  our  bank  floor  and  nearly  flooded  us  out.  We  had 
an  exciting  time  of  it  baling  out  the  water  as  fast  as  it 
ran  in,  for  somehow  the  drain  running  underneath  our 
boarded  house  had  got  stopped.  At  last  the  rainfall 
ceased  and  the  water  was  got  rid  of,  leaving  every  thing 
in  a  state  of  damp  —  damp  stools  and  chairs,  damp 
sheets,  damp  clothes,  damp  books,  damp  paper,  damp 
every  thing. 


B  USE  ANIMALS— BIRDS-SNAKES.  j  3  j 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BUSH   ANIMALS BIEDS SNAKES. 

The  'Possum.  —  A  Night's  Sport  in  the  Bush.  —  Musquitoes.  —  Wattle 
Birds. — The  Piping  Crow. — "Miners." — Parroquet  Hunting. — The 
Southern  Cross. — Snakes. — Marsupial  Animals. 

A  FAYOEITE  sport  in  Australia  is  'possum  -  shooting. 
The  Australian  opossum  is  a  marsupial  quadruped,  liv- 
ing in  trees,  and  feeding  on  insects,  eggs,  and  fruits.  Its 
body  is  about  twenty-five  inches  in  length,  besides  which 
it  has  a  long  prehensile  tail,  with  which  it  clings  to  the 
branches  of  the  trees  in  which  it  lives.  Its  skin  is  cov- 
ered with  thick  fur,  of  a  uniform  smoky -black  color, 
tinged  with  chestnut,  and  it  is  very  much  sought  after 
because  of  its  warmth  and  beauty. 

The  proper  time  for 'possum-shooting  is  at  night,  when 
the  moon  is  nearly  at  her  full,  and  one  can  see  about  al- 
most as  well  as  in  the  daytime.  Even  Yenus  is  so  bright 
that,  on  a  night  when  the  moon  was  absent,  I  have  seen 
her  give  light  enough  to  drive  by. 

A  well-trained  dog  is  almost  indispensable  for  scent- 
ing the  'possums  and  tracking  them  to  their  tree,  beneath 
which  he  stands  and  gives  tongue.  When  the  dog  stands 
and  barks,  you  may  be  sure  there  is  the  "  'possum  up  a 
gum-tree."  I  never  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  accom- 
panied by  a  well-trained  dog,  but  only  by  young  ones 
new  to  the  sport. 

We  had,  therefore,  to  find  and  sight  our  own  game. 


132  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

This  is  done  by  looking  carefully  along  each  branch, 
with  the  tree  between  you  and  the  bright  moonlight; 
and  if  there  be  a  'possum  there,  you  will  see  a  little 
black,  f  urry-like  ball  motionless  in  the  fork  of  a  limb. 
On  the  first  night  that  I  went  out  'possum-shooting  with 
a  party  of  friends,  we  trudged  a  good  way  into  the  bush, 
and  searched  the  trees  for  a  long  time  in  vain. 

At  length  the  old  colonial  who  accompanied  us,  com- 
ing up  to  a  large  tree,  said, "  Ah !  here  is  a  likely  place ;" 
and  we  began  carefully  to  spy  the  branches.  "  There  he 
is,"  said  the  colonial,  pointing  to  a  limb  where  he  said 
the  'possum  was.  At  first  I  could  make  out  nothing, 
but  at  last  I  spied  the  little  round  ball.  He  fired,  and 
the  animal  fell  to  the  ground  dead. 

A  little  farther  on  we  searched  again  and  found  an- 
other. Now  it  was  my  turn.  I  took  steady  aim  at  the 
black  object  between  me  and  the  moon,  and  fired.  Look- 
ing through  the  smoke,  I  saw  Joey  hanging  on  to  the 
branch  by  his  tail,  and  in  half  a  minute  more  he  drop- 
ped to  the  ground.  I  found  that  this  was  one  of  the 
ring -tailed  species,  the  top  of  the  tail  being  bare  for 
about  two  inches,  and  formed  like  a  white  ring.  'Pos- 
sums of  this  sort  use  their  tails  for  climbing,  like  the 
spider  -  monkey  of  Africa.  I  found  I  could  carry  my 
ring-tailer  hanging  on  to  my  finger  even  after  he  was 
quite  dead. 

The  next  'possum  fell  wounded  from  the  tree  and  took 
to  his  heels,  with  the  little  dogs  after  him,  and  they  set- 
tled him  after  a  short  fight.  Sometimes  the  'possum, 
after  being  hit,  will  cling  a  long  time  to  the  tree  by  his 
tail,  with  his  body  hanging  down.  Then  the  best  and 
lightest  climber  goes  up  to  shake  him  down,  and  he  soon 


BUSH  ANIMALS— BIRDS— SNAKtiS.  133 

drops  among  the  dogs,  which  are  all  excitement,  and 
ready  to  fall  upon  him.  Occasionally  he  will  give  them 
a  good  run,  and  then  the  object  is  to  prevent  him  get- 
ting up  another  tree. 

Proceeding  on  our  search,  we  found  ourselves  on  some 
low  swampy  ground,  where  there  were  said  to  be  abun- 
dance of  'possums;  but  I  had  no  sooner  entered  the 
swamp  than  I  was  covered  with  musquitoes  of  the  most 
ravenous  character.  They  rose  from  the  ground  in  thou- 
sands, and  fastened  on  my  u  new  chum"  skin,  from  which 
the  odor  of  the  lime-juice  had  not  yet  departed,*  and  in 
a  few  minutes  I  was  literally  in  torment,  and  in  full  re- 
treat out  of  the  swamp.  Not  even  the  prospect  of  a  full 
bag  of  'possums  would  tempt  me  again  in  that  direction. 

In  all,  we  got  seven  'possums,  which  is  considered  a 
very  small  bag.  There  is  a  practised  sportsman  in  the 
town  who  goes  out  with  a  well-trained  dog,  accompanied 
by  a  horse  and  cart,  and  he  is  disappointed  if  he  does  not 
bring  home  quite  a  cart-load  of  fur. 

When  we  had  got  done  with  our  sport  and  resolved 
on  wending  our  way  homeward,  I  had  not  the  faintest 
idea  where  we  were,  or  of  the  direction  in  which  we 
were  to  proceed.  Of  course,  near  the  town  there  are 
plenty  of  tracks,  but  here  there  were  none ;  and  there  is 
such  a  complete  sameness  in  the  bush  that  I  wondered 
that  even  my  experienced  friend  should  be  able  to  guide 
us  back.  But  he  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  way, 
and  we  were  soon  tramping  steadily  along  under  the 

*  It  is  said  in  the  colony  that  the  musquitoes  scent  out  each  ' '  new 
chum,"  or  fresh  importation,  by  the  lime-juice  he  has  taken  on  board  ship; 
and  that,  being  partial  to  fresh  blood,  they  attack  the  "new  chums"  in  pref- 
erence to  the  seasoned  inhabitants. 


134  HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

bright  moonlight,  the  straggling  gum-trees  looking  more 
gaunt  and  unshapely  than  usual,  the  dry  twigs  crackling 
under  our  feet ;  and  we  reached  the  township  long  after 
midnight. 

On  another  occasion  I  accompanied  the  Maryborough 
doctor  into  the  bush  to  shoot  wattle  birds  for  a  pie ;  but 
we  did  not  succeed  in  getting  a  pief  ul.  I  have  an  idea 
that  the  gray-colored  dress  of  a  young  lady  who  accom- 
panied us  frightened  the  birds  away.  There  were  plenty 
of  birds  about,  but  very  few  of  the  sort  we  wanted — a 
bird  as  large  as  a  pigeon,  plump  and  tender  to  eat.  The 
doctor  drove  us  in  and  out  among  the  trees,  and  had 
once  nearly  turned  us  all  perforce  out  of  the  buggy,  hav- 
ing got  his  wheels  locked  in  the  stump  of  a  tree. 

The  speckled  honey  suckers,  yellow  and  black,  chirped 
and  gabbled  up  among  the  trees.  The  leather-heads, 
with  their  bare  necks  and  ruffle  of  white  feathers,  almost 
.like  so  many  vultures  in  miniature,  gave  out  their  loud 
and  sudden  croak,  then  lazily  flapped  their  wings  and 
flew  away  to  the  next  tree.  Suddenly  there  is  heard  the 
single  cry  of  the  bell-bird,  just  like  the  ringing  of  a  glass 
bell,  while  far  off  in  the  bush  you  could  hear  the  note  of 
the  Australian  magpie  or  piping  crow,  not  unlike  that  of 
a  silver  flute,  clear,  soft,  and  musical.  The  piping  crow 
is,  indeed,  a  clever  bird,  imitating  with  wonderful  accu- 
racy the  cries  of  other  birds,  and  when  tamed  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly amusing,  readily  learning  to  whistle  tunes, 
which  it  does  extremely  well. 

Another  day  I  went  out  shooting  with  the  Presbyterian 
minister,  an  enthusiastic  taxidermist,  now  occupied  in 
making  a  very  nice  collection  of  Australian  birds.  We 
had  a  gay  time  of  it  in  the  bush  that  day.  There  were 


B USH  ANIMALS— BIRDS— SNAKES.  135 

plenty  of  gray  and  black  mina-birds,  or  "  miners"  as  they 
are  called  here,  chattering  away  in  the  trees  in  groups  of 
four  or  five.  They  are  a  species  of  grakle,  and  are  live- 
ly and  intelligent  birds,  some  of  them  possessing  a  pow- 
er of  imitating  human  speech  equal  to  any  of  the  parrot 
tribe.  They  are  very  peculiar  looking,  gray  in  the  body, 
with  a  black  dab  on  the  head,  and  a  large  bright  yellow 
wattle  just  behind  the  eye.  "We  pass  the  "  miners"  un- 
molested, for  the  minister  tells  me  they  are  "  no  good"  if 
you  want  eating,  while  as  specimens  they  are  too  com- 
mon. 

Then  there  are  the  tiny  gray  wrens  sitting  about  in 
scores — so  small  that  an  English  wren  looks  monstrous 
beside  them.  Across  the  sunlight,  and  away  over  a  hol- 
low, there  flies  a  flock  of  green  and  yellow  parroquets, 
screaming  as  they  fly.  The  brilliant  colors  of  their 
wings  flash  and  glitter  as  they  come  from  under  the 
shadow  of  the  trees.  Now  we  stalk  a  solitary  piping 
crow  from  tree  to  tree ;  but  no  sooner  do  you  get  near 
enough  to  take  a  pot  shot  at  him  than  he  pipes  his  note 
and  is  off.  The  only  way  of  getting  at  him  is  to  pro- 
ceed cautiously  from  bush  to  bush ;  but  even  theji,  so 
shy  a  bird  is  he  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  bag  him. 

There  is  a  flock  of  great  white  sulphur-crested  cocka- 
toos clustered  up  in  a  high  tree.  Can  we  get  a  shot? 
They  seem  to  anticipate  our  design,  for  on  the  moment 
they  rise  and  wheel  overhead  with  elevated  crests,  utter- 
ing their  shrill,  hoarse  cries.  These  are  the  fellows  that 
occasion  our  farmers  so  much  trouble  by  eating  the 
freshly-sown  grain. 

Then  look !  on  that  branch  are  twenty  or  thirty  lovely 
little  swift  parroquets,  with  green  and  dark  blue  wings 


136  MOUND  THE  WOULD. 

tipped  with  yellow.  They  are  climbing  in  and  out  of 
the  scant  leafage,  under  and  over  the  limbs  of  the  tree, 
hanging  on  by  their  claws,  and  they  only  rise  if  they 
see  us  near  enough  to  take  a  shot  at  them,  when  they 
take  to  wing  screaming,  and  fly  away  in  a  flock. 

One,  when  I  had  gone  out  parrot-potting  with  another 
young  fellow  almost  as  green  as  myself,  we  had  very 
nearly  got  bushed.  We  had  been  following  up  a  flock 
of  Blue  Mountain  parrots — handsome  birds — of  which 
we  wanted  specimens  for  our  collection.  After  some 
slight  success,  we  turned  our  way  homeward.  The  sun 
was  just  setting.  Marking  its  position  in  the  heavens, 
we  took  what  we  thought  was  the  right  direction.  There 
were  no  tracks  to  guide  us — no  landmarks — nothing  but 
bush.  After  walking  for  some  time,  and  looking  again 
at  the  light  of  the  sky  where  the  sun  had  gone  down,  we 
found  that  we  had  made  a  circuit  upon  our  track,  and 
were  walking  exactly  in  the  opposite  direction  to  our 
township.  We  hastily  retraced  our  steps,  for  we  knew 
that  it  would  soon  be  dark,  as  the  twilight  is  so  short  in 
Australia.  Fortunately  for  us,  it  was  a  very  clear  night, 
and  as  the  stars  came  brightly  out  we  saw  before  us  the 
Southern  Cross  high  up  on  our  left,  which  guided  us  on 
our  way.  Had  it  been  a  cloudy  night,  most  probably  we 
should  have  had  to  spend  it  in  the  bush ;  but,  thanks  to 
the  Southern  Cross  and  good  legs,  we  at  length,  though 
late,  reached  our  township  in  safety. 

There  are  sometimes  snakes  met  with  in  the  bush, 
though  I  saw  but  few  of  them,  and  these  are  always 
ready  to  get  out  of  your  way.  The  largest  fellow  I  saw 
was  drawn  out  from  under  the  flooring  of  a  weather- 
boarded  hut  on  the  hill-side  above  Majorca.  I  was  com- 


BUSH  ANIMALS— BIRDS— SNAKES.  137 

ing  down  early  one  morning  from  the  school-house,  when 
I  stopped  at  the  hut  to  speak  with  the  occupant.  It  is 
a  very  tidy  little  place,  divided  into  two  rooms — par- 
lor and  bedroom.  The  parlor  was  pasted  all  over  with 
cheap  prints,  reminding  one  of  home,  mostly  taken  from 
"Punch"  and  the  "  Illustrated  London  News."  Photo- 
graphs of  old  friends  were  also  hung  over  the  mantel- 
shelf. The  floor  was  neat  and  clean ;  the  little  pot  was 
simmering  over  the  little  fire,  and  all  was  getting  ready 
for  breakfast.  A  very  pleasant  picture  of  a  thriving 
emigrant's  home. 

As  I  was  standing  outside,  about  to  take  my  leave, 
casting  my  eyes  on  the  ground,  I  saw  beneath  the  bench 
close  to  the  door  a  long,  brownish-gray  thing  lying  quite 
still.  I  at  once  saw  that  it  was  a  snake,  and  snatched 
up  a  billet  of  wood  to  make  a  blow  at  him;  but  my 
friend,  who  had  more  experience  in  such  matters,  held 
me  back.  "  Just  wait  a  moment,"  said  he,  "  and  let  me 
get  hold  of  him."  Quick  as  thought,  he  stooped  down, 
seized  firm  hold  of  the  snake  by  the  tail,  and,  whirling 
him  rapidly  round  his  head  three  or  four  times,  he  dashed 
him  against  the  boards  of  the  hut  and  let  him  drop, 
crushing  the  reptile's  head  with  his  boot-heel.  The  snake 
was  four  feet  six  inches  in  length,  and  said  to  be  of  a 
very  poisonous  sort. 

Snakes  are  much  more  common  in  the  less  cleared 
parts  of  the  colony,  and  fatal  snake-bites  are  not  infre- 
quent. The  most  successful  method  of  treatment  is  that 
invented  by  Dr.  Half ord,  of  Melbourne,  which  consists  in 
injecting  a  solution  of  ammonia  into  a  vein  dissected  out 
and  opened  for  the  purpose.  This  "is  said  at  once  and 
almost  completely  to  destroy  the  effects  of  the  poison. 


138  HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

Since  my  return  home  I  observe  that  Dr.  Halford  has 
been  publicly  rewarded  for  his  discovery. 

Kangaroo  hunting  is  one  of  the  great  sports  of  Victo- 
ria, but  it  was  not  my  fortune  to  see  a  hunt  of  this  sort. 
There  are  now  very  few,  if  any,  kangaroo  in  this  imme- 
diate neighborhood. *  Yet  there  is  no  lack  of  marsupial 
animals  of  the  same  character :  the  opossum  is  one  of 
these.  There  is  also  a  small  kind  of  kangaroo,  called  the 
wallaby,  which,  though  I  have  not  hunted,  I  have  eaten ; 
and  wallaby  stew  is  by  no  means  a  bad  dish :  the  flesh 
tastes  very  much  like  venison.  Indeed,  the  marsupial 
animals  of  Australia  are  of  almost  endless  variety,  rang- 
ing from  a  very  tiny  animal,  no  bigger  than  our  field- 
mouse,  to  the  great  old-man  kangaroo,  which  measures 
between  seven  and  eight  feet  from  the  nose  to  the  tip  of 
the  tail.  The  peculiarity  of  all  this  class  of  animak, 
from  the  smallest  to  the  largest,  is  the  marsupium,  or 
pouch,  in  which  the  females  carry  their  immature  young 
until  they  are  old  enough  to  shift  for  themselves.  The 
kangaroo  is  almost  confined  to  Australia,  though  several 
species  are  also  to  be  met  with  in  the  neighboring  isl- 
ands. 

*  There  is  a  Hunt  Club  at  Avoca  that  hunts  kangaroo.  The  animals 
abound  north  of  the  Murray  River,  and  some  parts  of  the  unsettled  coun- 
try in  Gipps  Land  still  swarm  with  them. 


GOLD-BUYING  AND  GOLD-MINING.  139 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

GOLD-BUYING    AND    GOLD-MINING. 

How  the  Gold  is  found. — Gold -washing.  —  Quartz -crushing. — Buying 
Gold  from  Chinamen. — Alluvial  Companies. — Broken-down  Men. — 
Ups  and  Downs  in  Gold-mining. — Visit  to  a  Gold  Mine. — Gold-seek- 
ing.— Diggers'  Tales  of  lucky  Finds. 

I  MUST  now  be  excused  if  I  talk  a  little  "  shop."  Though 
my  descriptions  hitherto  have  for  the  most  part  related 
to  up-country  life,  seasons,  amusements,  and  such  like, 
my  principal  concern,  while  living  in  Majorca,,  was  with 
bank  business  and  gold-buying.  The  ordinary  business 
of  a  banking  office  is  tolerably  well  known,  but  the  busi- 
ness of  gold-buying  is  a  comparatively  new  feature,  pe- 
culiar to  the  gold-producing  districts,  and  is,  therefore, 
worthy  of  a  short  description. 

The  gold  is  found  and  brought  to  us  in  various  forms. 
The  Majorca  gold  is  generally  alluvial,  consisting  of 
coarse  gold-dust  and  small  nuggets  washed  out  from  the 
gravel.  There  are  also  some  quartz  reef  mining  com- 
panies, whose  gold  is  bought  in  what  we  call  a  retorted 
state.  Let  me  explain.  The  quartz  containing  the  gold 
is  stamped  and  broken  up  by  heavy  iron  hammers  fall- 
ing upon  it ;  and  a  stream  of  water  constantly  running 
down  into  the  box  in  which  the  stampers  work,  the  solu- 
ble dirt  is  washed  away,  while  the  particles  of  quartz 
and  gold  are  carried  forward  over  boards,  in  which,  at 
intervals,  are  small  ripples  containing  quicksilver.  The 


140  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

quicksilver  clings  to  the  gold  and  forms  an  amalgam 
with  it.  This  is  collected,  taken  out,  and  squeezed  in 
bags  of  chamois  leather,  by  which  the  greater  part  of  the 
quicksilver  is  pressed  out  and  saved  for  a  repetition  of 
the  process.  The  residue  is  placed  in  a  retort  and  is  ex- 
posed to  heat,  by  which  the  remainder  of  the  quicksilver 
is  driven  off  by  evaporation,  leaving  the  gold  in  a  solid 
lump.  There  are,  however,  various  other  processes  by 
which  the  gold  is  separated  from  the  quartz. 

Sometimes  the  gold  is  offered  for  sale  in  a  very  imper- 
fectly separated  state,  and 'then  considerable  judgment  is 
required  in  deciding  as  to  its  value.  In  alluvial  gold 
there  is  always  a  certain  proportion  of  chips  of  iron, 
which  have  flown  from  the  picks  used  in  striking  and 
turning  up  the  gravel.  These  pieces  of  iron  are  careful- 
ly extracted  by  means  of  a  magnet.  The  larger  bits  of 
gold,  if  there  be  any,  are  then  taken  out  and  put  to  one 
side.  The  remainder  is  put  into  a  shallow  tin  dish,  which 
is  shaken  with  a  peculiar  turn  of  the  wrist,  and  all  the 
sand  and  dirt  thus  turned  to  the  point  of  the  dish.  This 
is  blown  off ;  then  up  goes  the  gold  again,  and  you  blow 
and  blow  until  all  the  sand  is  blown  off.  If  there  re- 
main -any  gold  with  quartz  still  adhering  to  it,  the  parti- 
cles are  put  into  a  big  iron  mortar  and  well  beaten,  and 
the  process  above  described  is  repeated.  The  gold  is 
then  ready  for  weighing  and  buying,  and  there  is  usual- 
ly no  difficulty  in  settling  the  price  with  English  diggers, 
the  price  varying  according  to  the  assay  of  the  gold.* 

*  The  ordinary  price  of  good  gold  is  £3  19s.  6d.  the  ounce.  In  the  ear- 
ly days  of  gold-digging  the  gold  was  never  cleaned,  but  bought  right  off  at 
a  low  price,  £2  15s.  or  £2  17s.  6d.  an  ounce,  the  bankers  thus  often  realiz- 
ing immense  profits. 


GOLD-BUYING  AND  GOLD-MINING.  141 

Our  great  difficulty  is  with  the  Chinamen,  who  are 
very  close-fisted  fellows.  They  mostly  work  at  sludge, 
which  Englishmen  have  already  washed ;  and  they  are 
found  hanging  on  to  the  tailings  of  old  workings,  wash- 
ing the  refuse  in  order  to  extract  the  gold  that  had  been 
missed.  Old  tailings  are  often  thus  washed  several  times 
over,  and  never  without  finding  gold  to  a  greater  or  less 
amount.  When  a  party  of  Chinamen  think  they  can  do 
better  elsewhere,  they  may  be  seen  moving  off,  carrying 
their  whole  mining  apparatus  on  their  backs,  consisting 
of  tubs,  blankets,  tin  scoops,  and  a  small  washing-cradle. 

'The  Chinamen  get  their  gold  in  a  very  rude  way, 
though  it  seems  to  answer  their  purpose.  They  put  the 
stuff  to  be  washed  on  to  their  cradle,  and  by  scooping 
water  over  it  and  keeping  the  cradle  going  they  gradual- 
ly rinse  it  away,  the  fluid  running  over  two  or  three  ledg- 
es of  blankets,  and  leaving  the  fine  gold  remaining  be- 
hind adhering  to  the  wool.  After  the  process  has  been 
continued  sufficiently  long,  the  gold-dust  is  collected  from 
the  blankets,  and  is  retorted  by  the  Chinamen  themselves, 
and  then  they  bring  it  for  sale.  The  retorting  has  usu- 
ally been  badly  done,  and  there  remains  a  good  deal  of 
quicksilver  and  nitric  acid  adhering  to  the  gold.  The 
only  way  of  dealing  with  it  is  to  put  the  whole  into  a 
crucible,  then  make  it  red  hot,  and  keep  the  gold  at  the 
melting-point  for  five  or  ten  minutes. 

As  we  have  got  no  furnace  of  our  own  on  the  premi- 
ses, 1  have  frequently  to  march  up  the  street  to  the  black- 
smith's shop  to  put  John  Chinaman's  gold  to  the  test.  If 
John  is  allowed  to  go  by  himself,  he  merely  waits  till  the 
gold  gets  warm,  takes  it  out  again,  and  brings  it  back, 
saying, "  All  light ;  welly  good,  welly  good  gole ;  no  gam- 


142  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

mon."  But  you  should  see  John  when  I  go  up  to  the 
blacksmith's  myself,  put  the  crucible  into  the  hottest  part 
of  the  fire,  and  begin  to  blow  the  bellows !  When  the 
gold  begins  to  glow  with  heat,  and  he  knows  the  weight 
is  diminishing  by  the  quicksilver  and  dirt  that  are  flying 
off,  he  cries, "  Welly  hot !  too  muchee  fire ;  me  losem  too 
muchee  money !"  But  the  thing  must  be  done,  and  John 
must  take  the  choice  of  his  dirty  gold  or  the  regular 
price  for  it  when  cleaned.  1  have  known  it  lose,  by  this 
process  of  purifying,  as  much  as  from  five  to  six  penny- 
weights in  the  ounce. 

Sometimes  he  will  bring  only  a  few  shillings'  worth, 
and,  when  the  money  is  tendered  for  it,  he  will  turn  it 
over  in  his  hand,  like  a  London  cabman  when  his  regular 
fare  is  given  him.  One  man,  who  almost  invariably 
brought  only  a  very  small  quantity,  would  begin  his  con- 
versation with  "  No  more  money  now — no  more  chow- 
chow  (dinner) — no  more  opium!"  Sometimes  matters 
come  to  a  climax,  and  he  tells  us  that  we  "  too  much  lie 
and  cheatem,"  on  which  we  send  him  out  at  the  door. 

The  lower  orders  of  Chinamen  are  almost  invariably 
suspicious  that  Englishmen  cheat  them,  although  some 
of  them  are  very  decent  fellows,  and,  indeed,  kind  and 
even  polite.  Several  times  1  have  asked  them  how  they 
were  going  to  spend  the  money  for  which  they  had  sold 
their  gold — say  five  shillings,  and  they  would  answer,  in- 
genuously enough,  "  Two  shillings  for  opium,  three  shil- 
lings for  chow-chow,"  leaving  no  margin  for  sundries. 

We  buy  from  the  Chinamen  as  little  as  three  shillings' 
worth  of  gold,  and  from  the  mining  companies  up  to  any 
amount.  Some  of  the  latter  bring  in  hundreds  of  pounds' 
worth  of  gold  at  a  time.  The  quartz  companies  bring 


GOLD-BUYING  AND  GOLD-MINING.  143 

theirs  in  large  yellow  lumps,  of  over  200  ounces,  fresh 
from  the  retort;  and  the  alluvial  companies  generally 
deposit  theirs  in  leather  bags  containing  their  washings 
until  the  end  of  the  week  or  fortnight,  when  they  sell  the 
accumulated  product. 

There  is,  of  course,  a  good  deal  of  excitement  and  anx- 
iety about  gold-digging.  When  men  get  into  good  gold- 
yielding  ground,  by  steady  work  they  contrive  to  make 
fair  earnings,  and  sometimes  a  good  deal  of  money  ;  but 
they  have  usually  to  work  pretty  hard  for  it.  Of  course 
the  most. successful  men  are  working  miners,  men  who 
understand  the  business ;  for  gold-mining  is  a  business, 
like  any  other.  The  amateur  men,  who  come  in  search 
of  lucky  finds  and  sudden  fortunes,  rarely  do  any  good. 
Nearly  all  the  young  fellows,  sons  of  gentlemen,  who 
could  do  no  good  at  home  and  came  out  here  during  the 
"  rushes,"  are  still  in  no  better  position  than  they  were  at 
starting.  A  few  of  them  may  have  done  well ;  but  the 
greater  number  are  bullock-drivers  in  the  country,  cab- 
drivers  in  Melbourne,  shepherds  in  the  bush,  or,  still 
worse,  loafers  hanging  about  the  drinking-bars. 

I  know  many  men,  of  good  family  and  education,  still 
working  as  common  miners  in  this  neighborhood.  Al- 
though their  life  is  a  rough  one,  they  themselves  think 
it  is  better  than  a  struggling  clerk's  life  at  home ;  and 
perhaps  they  are  right.  I  know  one  young  man,  for- 
merly a  medical  student  in  England,  digging  for  weekly 
wages, hired  by  a  company  of  miners  at  £2  10s.  a  week; 
but  he  is  not  saving  money.  He  came  out  with  two 
cousins,  one  of  whom  broke  away  and  pursued  his  pro- 
fession ;  he  is  now  the  head  of  a  military  hospital  in  In- 
dia. The  other  cousin  remained  in  the  colony,  and  is 


144  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

now  a  hanger-on  about  up-country  stations.  There  is 
also  the  son  of  a  baronet  here,  who  came  out  in  the  time 
of  the  gold  fever.  He  has  never  advanced  a  step,  but 
is  wood-cutting  and  rail-splitting  in  the  bush  like  a  poor 
Savoyard.  Still  the  traces  of  his  education  can  be  seen 
through  the  "jumper"  shirt  and  moleskin  trowsers,  in 
spite  of  rough  ways  and  hard  work. 

There  are  many  ups  and  downs  in  gold-mining.  Some- 
times men  will  work  long  and  perseveringly,  and  earn 
little  more  than  their  food ;  but,  buoyed  up  by  hope, 
they  determine  to  go  on  again,  and  at  last,  perhaps,  they 
succeed.  One  day  two  men  came  into  the  bank  with 
£120  worth  of  gold,  the  proceeds  of  four  days'  mining 
on  a  new  claim.  They  had  been  working  for  a  long 
time  without  finding  any  thing  worth  their  while,  and 
at  last  they  struck  gold.  The  £120  had  to  be  divided 
among  six  men,  and  out  of  it  they  had  to  pay  toward  the 
cost  of  sinking  their  shaft  and  maintaining  their  three 
horses  which  worked  the  "  whip"  for  drawing  up  the  wa- 
ter and  dirt  out  of  the  mine.  When  they  brought  in 
their  gold  in  a  little  tin  billy,  the  men  did  not  seem  at 
all  elated  by  their  good  fortune.  They  are  so  accus- 
tomed to  a  sudden  turn  of  luck — good  or  ill,  as  the  case 
may  be — that  the  .good  fortune  on  this  occasion  seemed 
to  be  taken  as  a  matter  of  course. 

One  day  the  manager  and  I  went  out  to  see  a  reef 
where  some  men  had  struck  gold.  It  lay  across  the 
bare-looking  ranges  at  the  north  of  the  township,  in  a 
pretty  part  of  the  bush,  rather  more  wooded  than  usual. 
The  reef  did  not  look  a  place  for  so  much  gold  to  come 
out  of.  There  were  a  couple  of  shafts,  small  windlasses 
above  them,  and  two  or  three  heaps  of  dirty  -  looking 


GOLD-BUYING  AND  GOLD- MINING,  145 

brown -quartz  and  refuse.  I  believe  the  reef  is  very  nar- 
row —  only  from  eight  inches  to  a  foot  in  width ;  the 
quartz  yielding  from  eight  to  twelve  ounces  of  gold  per 
ton.  Thus  ten  tons  crushed  would  give  a  value  of  about 
£400.  Though  this  may  seem  a  good  yield,  it  is  small 
compared  with  richer  quartz.  I  have  heard  of  one  mine 
which  gave  200  ounces,  or  £800,  to  the  ton  of  quartz 
crushed,  but  this  was  unusually  rich. 

At  some  of  the  larger  claims  the  works  are  carried  on 
upon  a  large  scale  with  the  aid  of  complete  machinery. 
Let  me  describe  one  of  the  mines,  close  to  Majorca, 
down  which  I  went  one  day  to  inspect  the  operations. 
It  is  called  the  Lowe  Kong  Meng  mine,  and  was  former- 
ly worked  by  Chinamen,  but  had  to  be  abandoned  be- 
cause of  the  great  quantity  of  water  encountered,  as 
well  as  the  accidents  which  constantly  happened  to  the 
machinery.  The  claim  was  then  taken  up  by  an  En- 
glish company  of  tributors,  who  pay  a  percentage  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  mine  to  the  proprietor,  the  large  Chi- 
nese merchant,  Mr.  Lowe  Kong  Meng,  who  resides  in 
Melbourne. 

In  some  of  the  shallower  workings  the  men  ^o  down 
the  shaft  with  their  feet  in  a  noose  at  the  end  of  the 
rope,  or,  in  some  small  and  narrow  shafts,  by  holding  on 
to  the  sides  with  their  knees  and  feet ;  but  in  large 
workings,  such  as  this  (which  is  about  150  feet  deep), 
we  descend  in  a  bucket,  as  in  ordinary  mines.  What  a 
speed  we  go  down  at!  We  seem  to  shoot  down  into 
darkness.  There — bump !  we  are  at  the  bottom.  But 
I  can  see  nothing ;  I  only  hear  the  drip,  drip,  and  splash- 
ing of  water. 

In  a  few  minutes  my  eyes  get  accustomed  to  the  dark- 
G 


146  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

ness ;  then  I  see  the  dim  light  of  a  candle  held  by  some 
one  not  far  off.  "  Come  up  here,"  says  the  guide ;  and 
we  shortly  find  ourselves  in  a  somewhat  open  space, 
more  light  than  the  actual  bottom  of  the  shaft.  We  are 
each  supplied  with  a  dip  tallow  candle,  by  means  of 
which  we  see  where  we  are.  The  two  drives  branch  off 
from  this  space :  the  main  is  6  feet  3  inches  in  height, 
broad,  and  splendidly  timbered  with  stout  wood  all  the 
way  along.  The  Chinamen  did  this  work. 

Water  is  running  every  where.  We  try  to  walk  upon 
the  rails  on  which  the  trucks  run,  to  keep  our  feet  dry. 
But  it  is  of  no  use,  as  there  is  more  water  in  our  way  to 
get  through.  Every  now  and  then  we  slipped  off  the 
rail  and  down  into  the. water.  As  we  got  into  the  nar- 
rower and  lower  drives  I  was  continually  coming  to 
grief,  my  head  bumping  against  the  dirty  top,  my  hat 
coming  off,  or  my  candle  getting  extinguished. 

We  were  taken  first  up  to  the  place  where  the  water 
had  broken  in  so  heavily  upon  the  Chinamen,  and  in 
which  direction  the  mine  could  not  be  worked.  Strong 
supports  of  wood  held  up  the  gravel,  through  which  the 
water  poured  in,  running  down  the  drives  to  the  well 
underneath  the  shaft..  What  a  labyrinth  all  these  differ- 
ent passages  seemed  to  me !  yet  I  suppose  this  claim  is 
a  small  one  compared  with  many  others  in  the  gold- 
mining  districts. 

Then  we  were  shown  a  monkey — not  the  animal,  but 
a  small  upright  shaft  leading  into  a  drive  above,  where 
the  wash-dirt  was  being  got  out.  Should  the  course  of 
the  wash-dirt,  in  which  the  gold  is,  go  downward  below 
the  level  of  the  well  or  the  drives  for  draining  the  mine, 
the  shaft  must  then  be  sunk  deeper  down.  The  mon- 


GOLD-BUYING  AND  GOLD-MINING.  147 

key  was  rather  difficult  for  me  to  scramble  up.  How- 
ever, by  holding  on,  and  using  the  niches  at  the  sides,  I 
managed  to  mount,  as  usual  with  the  loss  of  my  light. 

Along  the  drive  we  went,  waiting  in  a  corner  until  a 
truck  of  dirt  passed  by,  and  its  contents  were  shot  down 
the  monkey  into  the  tram  waiting  for  it  below.  Now 
we  creep  up  from  the  drive  into  a  narrower  space,  where 
we  crawl  along  upon  our  hands  and  knees.  We  shortly 
came  upon  four  men  getting  out  the  wash-dirt,  using 
their  picks  while  squatting  or  lying  down,  and  in  all 
sorts  of  uncomfortable  positions.  The  perspiration  was 
streaming  down  the  men's  faces  as  they  worked,  for  the 
heat  was  very  great. 

We  did  not  stay  long  in  that  hot  place,  and  I  did  not 
take  a  pick  and  happen  to  strike  upon  a  nugget,  as  it  is 
said  the  Duke  of  Edinburg  did,  though  I  saw  a  small 
dish  of  the  dirt  washed  when  we  reached  the  top,  and  it 
yielded  a  speck  or  two.  We  saw  "  the  color,"  as  the  ex- 
pression is.  I  felt  quite  relieved  at  last  to  find  myself  at 
the  top  of  the  shaft,  and  in  the  coolness  and  freshness  of 
the  open  air.  Here  the  dirt  raised  from  the  mine  is  put 
into  the  iron  puddling  machine,  and  worked  round  and 
round  with  water.  The  water  carries  off  the  mud,  the 
large  stones  are  picked  out,  and  the  gold  in  the  bottom 
of  the  machine  is  cradled  off.  Such  was  my  little  expe- 
rience in  mine  prospecting. 

I  must  also  tell  of  my  still  smaller  experience  in  gold- 
seeking.  One  morning  a  little  boy  brought  in  a  nugget 
for  sale  which  he  had  picked  up  from  a  heap  of  dirt 
while  he  was  strolling  down  the  lead  outside  the  town. 
After  a  heavy,  washing  fall  of  rain,  it  is  not  unusual  for 
small  bits  of  gold  to  be  exposed  to  sight,  and  old  diggers 


148  RO  TJND  THE  WORLD. 

often  take  a  ramble  among  the  mullock  after  rain  to 
make  a  search  among  the  heaps.  A  piece  of  gold  was 
once  brought  to  us  for  sale,  weighing  about  two  ounces, 
that  had  been  thus  washed  up  by  a  heavy  shower  of  rain. 
Inspired  by  the  success  of  the  little  boy,  I  went  out  in 
the  afternoon  in  a  pair  of  thick  boots,  and  with  a  pair  of 
sharp  eyes  to  search  for  treasure !  It  had  been  raining 
hard  for  several  days,  and  it  was  a  good  time  for  making 
an  inspection  of  the  old  washed-out  dirt-heaps.  After  a 
long  search  I  found  only  one  speck  of  gold,  of  the  value 
of  about  4d.  This  I  was  showing  with  pride  to  a  young 
lady  friend,  who,  being  playfully  inclined,  gave  my  hand 
a  shake,  and  my  microscopical  speck  was  gone,  the  first 
and  last  fruits  of  my  gold-seeking. 

Some  of  the  tales  told  by  the  old  diggers  of  their  luck 
in  the  early  days  of  gold-finding  are  very  interesting. 
One  of  these  I  can  relate  almost  in  the  very  words  of  the 
man  himself  to  whom  the  incident  occurred,  and  it  was 
only  an  ordinary  digger's  tale. 

"  My  mates  and  I,"  he  said, "  were  camped  in  a  gully 
with  some  forty  or  fifty  other  miners.  It  was  a  little 
quiet  place,  a  long  way  from  any  township.  We  had 
been  working  some  shallow  ground;  but  as  the  wash- 
dirt,  when  reached,  only  yielded  about  three  quarters  of 
a  pennyweight  (about  3s.)  to  the  dish,  we  got  sick  of  it, 
left  our  claim,  and  went  to  take  up  another  not  far  off. 
About  a  day  or  two  after  we  had  settled  upon  our  new 
ground,  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine  looked  in  upon  us 
by  chance.  He  was  hard  up — very  hard  up — and  want- 
ed to  know  whether  we  could  give  him  any  thing  to  do. 
'  Well,  there  is  our  old  place  up  there,'  said  I ;  '  it  is 
not  much  good,  but  you  can  find  enough  to  keep  body 


GOLD-BUYING  AND  GOLD-MINING.  149 

and  soul  together.'  So  lie  went  up  to  our  old  place,  and 
kept  himself  in  tucker.  A  few  days  after  he  had  been 
at  work,  he  found  that  the  farther  down  he  dug  in  one 
direction  the  more  gold  the  soil  yielded.  At  one  end  of 
the  ground  a  reef  cropped  up,  shelving  inward  very 
much.  He  quickly  saw  that  against  the  reef,  toward 
which  the  gold-yielding  gravel  lay,  the  ground  sloping- 
downward  toward  the  bottom  must  be  still  richer.  He 
got  excited,  threw  aside  the  gravel  with  his  shovel  to 
come  at  the  real  treasure  he  expected  to  find.  Down  he 
went  till  he  reached  the  slope  of  the  reef,  where  the 
gravel  lay  up  against  it.  There,  in  the  corner'  of  the 
ground,  right  in  the  angle  of  the  juncture,  as  it  were,  lay 
the  rich  glistening  gold,  all  in  pure  particles,  mixed  with 
earth  and  pebbles.  He  filled  his  tin  dish  with  the  pre- 
cious mixture,  bore  it  aloft,  and  brought  it  down  to  our 
tent,  where,  aided  by  the  mates,  he  washed  off  the  dirt, 
and  obtained  as  the  product  of  his  various  washings 
about  1000  ounces  of  pure  gold  !  The  diggers  who  were 
camped  about  in  the  gully  being  a  rough  lot,  we  were 
afraid  to  let  them  know  any  thing  of  the  prize  that  had 
been  found.  So,  without  saying  any  thing,  two  of  us, 
late  one  night,  set  out  with  the  lucky  man'  and  his  for- 
tune to  the  nearest  township,  where  he  sold  his  gold  and 
set  out  immediately  for  England,  where,  I  believe,  he  is 
now.  He  left  us  the  remainder  of  his  dirt,  which  he  did 
not  think  any  thing  of  compared  with  what  he  had  got, 
and  three  of  us  obtained  from  it  the  value  of  £600,  or 
£200  a  man." 

The  same  digger  at  another  time  related  to  us  how 
and  when  he  had  found  his  first  nugget.  He  declared 
that  it  was  all  through  a  dream.  "  I  dreamt,"  he  said, 


150  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

"  that  I  sunk  a  shaft  down  by  the  side  of  a  pretty  creek, 
just  under  a  guin-tree,  and  close  to  the  water;  that  I 
worked  down  about  10  feet  there,  put  in  a  drive,  and, 
while  I  was  working,  chanced  to  look  up,  and  there, 
sticking  in  the  pipe-clay,  was  a  piece  of  gold  as  big  as 
my  fist.  Such  was  my  dream.  It  took  complete  pos- 
session of  me.  I  could  think  of  nothing  else.  Some 
weeks  after,  I  selected  just  such  a  site  for  a  shaft  as  that 
I  had  dreamt  of,  under  a  gum-tree,  close  by  a  creek ; 
and  there,  new  chum-like,  I  put  in  the  drive  at  the 
wrong  depth.  But  one  day,  when  I  had  got  quite  sick 
at  fruitlessly  working  in  the  hole,  on  accidentally  look- 
ing up,  sure  enough,  there  was  my  nugget  sticking  up  in 
the  pipe-clay,  just  as  I  had  dreamt  of  it.  I  took  out  the 
gold,  sat  with  it  in  my  hand,  and  thought  the  thing  over, 
but  couldn't  make  it  out  at  all." 


2W  UGH  LIFE  A  T  THE  DIG  GINGS—"STOP  THIEF  /" 


CHAPTER  XY. 

KOUGH   LIFE    AT   THE   DIGGINGS ' 

Gold-rushing. — Diggers'  Camp  at  Havelock. — Murder  of  Lopez. — Pur- 
suit and  Capture  of  the  Murderer. — The  Thieves  hunted  from  the  Camp. 
— Death  of  the  Murderer. — The  Police. — Attempted  Robbery  of  the 
Collingwood  Bank.  —Another  supposed  Robbery.  —  "Stop  Thief!"  — 
Smart  Use  of  the  Telegraph. 

IN  the  times  of  the  early  rushes  to  the  goldfields  there 
was,  as  might  be  expected,  a  good  deal  of  disorder  and 
lawlessness.  When  the  rumor  of  a  new  goMfield  went 
abroad,  its  richness  was,  as  usual,  exaggerated  in  propor- 
tion to  the  distance  it  traveled,  and  men  of  all  classes 
rushed  from  far  and  near  to  the  new  diggings.  Mel- 
bourne was  half  emptied  of  its  laboring  population ; 
sailors  deserted  their  ships ;  shepherds  left  their  flocks, 
and  stockmen  their  cattle  ;  and,  worst  of  all,  there  also 
came  pouring  into  Victoria  the  looser  part  of  the  convict 
population  of  the  adjoining  colonies.  These  all  flocked 
to  the  last  discovered  field,  which  was  invariably  reputed 
the  richest  that  had  yet  been  discovered. 

Money  was  rapidly  made  by  some  where  gold  was 
found  in  any  abundance ;  but  when  the  soil  proved  com- 
paratively poor,  the  crowd  soon  dispersed  in  search  of 
other  diggings.  A  population  so  suddenly  drawn  to- 
gether by  the  fierce  love  of  gain,  and  containing  so  large 
an  admixture  of  the  desperado  element,  could  scarcely 
be  expected  to  be  very  orderly,  yet  it  is  astonishing  how 


152  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

soon,  after  the  first  rush  was  over,  the  camp  would  settle 
down  into  a  state  of  comparative  order  and  peaceable- 
ness;  for  it  was  always  the  interest  of  the  majority  to 
put  down  plundering  and  disorder.  Their  first  concern 
was  for  the  security  of  their  lives,  and  their  next  for  the 
security  of  the  gold  they  were  able  to  scrape  together. 

When  the  lawless  men  about  a  camp  were  numerous, 
and  robberies  became  frequent,  the  diggers  would  sud- 
denly extemporize  a  police,  rout  out  the  thieves,  and 
drive  them  perforce  from  the  camp.  I  may  illustrate 
this  early  state  of  things  by  what  occurred  at  Havelock, 
a  place  about  seven  miles  from  Majorca.  The  gully 
there  was  "  rushed"  about  nine  years  since,  when  some 
twenty  thousand  diggers  were  drawn  together,  with  even 
more  than  the  usual  proportion  of  grog-shanty  keepers, 
loafers,  thieves,  and  low  men  and  women  of  every  de- 
scription. In  fact,  the  very  scum  of  the  roving  popula- 
tion of  the  colony  seems  to  have  accumulated  in  the 
camp,  and  crime  upon  crime  was  committed,  until  at 
length  an  affair  occurred,  more  dreadful  and  outrageous 
than  any  thing  that  had  preceded  it,  which  thoroughly 
roused  the  digger  population,  and  a  rising  took  place, 
which  ended  in  their  hunting  the  whole  of  the  thieves 
and  scoundrels  into  the  bush. 

The  affair  has  been  related  to  me  by  three  of  the  per- 
sons who  were  themselves  actors  in  it,  and  it  is  briefly  as 
follows  :  At  the  corner  of  one  of  the  main  thoroughfares 
of  the  camp,  composed  of  canvas  tents  arid  wooden  stores, 
there  stood  an  extemporized  restaurant,  kept  by  a  Span- 
i  ird  named  Lopez.  A  few  yards  from  liis  place  was  a 
si  are  occupied  by  a  Mr.  S ,  now  a  storekeeper  in  Ma- 
jorca, and  a  customer  at  our  bank.  Opposite  to  S. 's 


ROUGH  LIFE  AT  THE  DIGGINGS— "STOP  THIEF r     153 

store  stood  a  tent,  the  occupants  of  which  were  known  to 
be  among  the  most  lawless  ruffians  in  the  camp.  S — 
had  seen  the  men  more  than  once  watching  his  store, 
and  he  had  formed  the  conviction  that  they  meant  at 
some  convenient  opportunity  to  rob  him,  so  he  never 
slept  without  a  loaded  revolver  under  his  pillow.  One 
night  in  particular  he  was  very  anxious.  The  men  stood 
about  at  the  front  of  his  store  near  closing-time,  suspi- 
ciously eying  his  premises,  as  he  thought.  So  he  put  a 
bold  face  on,  came  to  the  door  near  where  they  were 
standing,  discharged  his  pistol  in  the  air — a  regular  cus- 
tom in  the  diggings  at  night — reloaded,  entered  his  store, 
and  bolted  himself  in.  He  went  to  bed  at  about  ten 
o'clock,  and  lay  awake  listening,  for  he  could  not  sleep. 
It  was  not  very  long  before  he  heard  some  person's  steps 
•  close  by  his  hut,  and  a  muttering  of  smothered  voices. 
The  steps  passed  on ;  and  then,  after  the  lapse  of  about 
ten  minutes,  he  heard  a  shot  —  a  scream  —  and  hurried 
footsteps  running  close  past  his  hut.  He  lay  in  bed,  de- 
termined not  to  go  out,  as  he  feared  that  this  was  only  a 
ruse  on  the  part  of  the  thieves  to  induce  him  to  open  his 
door.  But  soon  he  heard  shouts  outside  as  of  persons  in 
pursuit  of  some  one,  and,  jumping  out  of  bed,  he  ran  out 
half  dressed  and  joined  in  the  chase. 

Now  this  is  what  had  happened  during  the  ten  min- 
utes that  he  had  lain  in  bed  listening.  The  thieves  had 
stolen  past  his  store,  as  he  had  heard  them,  and  gone  for- 
ward to  the  restaurant  kept  by  the  Spaniard.  They  look- 
ed into  the  bar,  and  through  the  chinks  of  the  wood  they 
saw  Lopez  counting  over  the  money  he  had  taken  during 
the  day.  The  bar  was  closed,  but  the  men  knocked  at 
the  door  for  admission.  Lopez  asked  what  they  wanted  ; 

G  2 


154  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

the  reply  was  that  they  wished  for  admission  to  have  a 
drink.  After  some  demur,  Lopez  at  last  opened  the  door, 
and  the  men  entered.  Nobblers  were  ordered,  and  while 
Lopez  was  reaching  for  a  bottle,  one  of  the  thieves, 
named  Brooke,  made  a  grab  at  the  money  lying  in  the 
open  drawer.  The  landlord  saw  his  hand,  and  instantly 
snatching  up  a  large  Spanish  knife  which  lay  behind  the 
counter,  he  made  a  lunge  at  Brooke,  and  so  fiercely  did 
he  strike  that  the  knife  ripped  up  the  man's  abdomen. 
With  a  yell  of  rage,  Brooke  drew  his  revolver,  instantly 
shot  Lopez  through  the  head,  and  he  fell  dead  without  a 
groan. 

Meanwhile  the  other  thieves  had  fled ;  and  now  Brooke 
himself,  holding  his  wound  together  with  his  hand,  ran 
out  of  the  house,  through  the  street  of  tents,  across  the 
lead,  and  into  the  bush.  But  the  hue  and  cry  had  been 
raised ;  the  diggers  bundled  out  of  their  tents,  and  be- 
fore the  murderer  had  reached  the  cover  of  the  bush  al- 
ready a  dozen  men  were  on  his  track.  It  was  full  moon, 
and  they  could  see  him  clearly,  holding  on  his  way,  avoid- 
ing the  crab-holes,  and  running  at  a  good  speed  notwith- 
standing his  fearful  wound.  Among  the  foremost  of  the 
pursuers  were  a  trooper,  and  an  active  little  fellow  who 
is  now  living  in  Majorca.  They  got  nearer  and  nearer 
to  Brooke,  who  turned  from  time  to  time  to  watch  their 
advance.  The  trooper  was  gaining  upon  him  fast ;  but 
when  within  about  fifteen  yards  of  him,  Brooke  turned, 
took  aim  with  his  revolver,  and  deliberately  fired.  The 
aim  was  too  true :  the  trooper  fell  dead,  shot  right  through 
the  heart.  Brooke  turned  to  fly  immediately  he  had 
fired  his  shot,  but  the  root  of  a  tree  behind  him  tripped 
him  up,  and  the  little  man  who  followed  close  behind 


MOUQH  LIFE  AT  THE  DIGGINGS—  "STOP  THIEF!"      155 

the  trooper  was  upon  him  in  an  instant,  with  his  knee 
upon  his  body  holding  him  down.  Brooke  managed  to 
turn  himself  half  round,  presented  his  revolver  at  his 
captor,  and  fired.  The  cap  snapped  on  the  nipple !  My 
friend  says  he  will  never  forget  the  look  the  wretch  gave 
him  when  his  pistol  missed  fire.  A  few  minutes — long, 
long  minutes — passed,  and  at  length  help  arrived,  and 
the  murderer  was  secured.  The  number  shortly  in- 
creased to  a  crowd  of  angry  diggers.  At  first  they  wish- 
ed to  hang  Brooke  at  once  upon  the  nearest  tree ;  but 
moderate  counsels  prevailed,  and  at  last  they  agreed  to 
take  him  into  Havelock  and  send  for  a  doctor. 

When  the  crowd  got  back  to  Havelock  their  fury 
broke  out.  They  determined  to  level  the  thieves'  tents 
and  the  grog-shanties  that  had  harbored  them.  What  a 
wild  scene  it  must  have  been !  Two  or  three  thousand 
men  pulling  down  huts  and  tents,  smashing  crockery  and 
furniture,  ripping  up  beds,  and  leveling  the  roosts  of  in- 
famy to  the  ground.  When  Dr.  Laidman,  the  doctor 
sent  for  from  Maryborough,  arrived  to  attend  the  dying 
man,  he  saw  a  cloud  of  "  white  things"  in  the  air,  and 
could  not  make  out  what  they  were.  They  turned  out 
±o  be  the  feathers  of  the  numerous  feather-beds  which 
the  diggers  had  torn  to  pieces  that  were  flying  about. 
The  diggers'  blood  was  fairly  up,  and  they  were  deter- 
mined to  make  "  a  clean  job  of  it"  before  they  had  done. 
And  not  only  did  they  thoroughly  root  out  and  destroy 
all  the  thieves'  dens  and  low  grog-shops  and  places  of  ill 
fame,  but  they  literally  hunted  the  owners  and  occupants 
of  them  right  out  into  the  bush. 

I  must  now  tell  you  of  the  murderer's  end.  He  was 
taken  to  the  rude  theatre  of  the  place,  and  laid  down 


156  MOUND  THE  WDRLU. 

upon  the  stage,  with  his  two  victims  beside  him — the 
dead  Lopez  on  one  side,  and  the  dead  trooper  on  the 
other.  When  the  doctor  arrived  he  examined  Brooke, 
and  told  him  he  would  try  to  keep  him  alive,  so  that  jus- 
tice might  be  done.  And  the  doctor  did  his  best.  But 
the  Spaniard's  wound  had  been  terrible  and  deadly. 
Brooke  died  in  about  half  an  hour  from  the  time  of  the 
doctor's  arrival.  The  murderer  remained  impenitent  to 
the  last,  and  opened  his  mouth  only  once  to  utter  an 
oath.  Such  was  the  horrible  ending  of  this  diggers' 
tragedy. 

Cases  such  as  this  are,  however,  of  rare  occurrence. 
So  soon  as  a  digging  becomes  established,  a  regular  po- 
lice is  employed  to  insure  order,  and  local  self-govern- 
ment soon  follows.  We  had  often  occasion  to  ride  over 
to  Maryborough,  taking  with  us  gold ;  but,  though  we 
were  well  known  in  the  place,  and  our  errand  might  be 
surmised,  we  were  never  molested,  nor,  indeed,  enter- 
tained the  slightest  apprehension  of  danger.  It  is  true 
that  in  the  bank  we  usually  had  a  loaded  revolver  lying 
in  the  drawer,  ready  at  hand  in  case  it  should  be  needed, 
but  we  had  never  occasion  to  use  it. 

Some  years  ago,  however,  an  actual  attempt  was  open- 
ly made  to  rob  a  bank  in  Collingwood,  a  suburb  of  Mel- 
bourne, which  was  very  gallantly  resisted.  The  bank 
stood  in  a  well-frequented  part  of  the  town,  where  peo- 
ple were  constantly  passing  to  and  fro.  One  day  two 
men  entered  it  during  office  hours.  One  of  them  delib- 
erately bolted  the  door,  and  the  other  marched  up  to  the 
counter  and  presented  a  pistol  at  the  -head  of  the  ac- 
countant who  stood  behind  it.  Nothing  daunted,  the 
young  man  at  once  vaulted  over  the  counter,  calling 


BOUGH  LIFE  AT  TEE  DIG GINGS—"&TOP  THIEF!"      157 

loudly  to  the  manager  for  help,  and  collared  the  ruffian, 
whose  pistol  went  off  as  he  went  down.  The  manager 
rushed  out  frornxhis  room  and  tackled  the  other  fellow. 
Both  the  robbers  were  strong,  powerful  men,  but  they 
fought  without  the  courage  of  honesty.  The  struggle 
was  long  and  desperate,  until  at  last  assistance  came,  and 
both  were  'secured.  A  presentation  of  plate  was  made 
to  the  two  officials  who  had  so  courageously  done  their 
duty,  and  they  are  still  in  the  service  of  the  same  bank. 

In  direct  contrast  to  this  case,  I  may  mention  a  rather 
mysterious  circumstance  which  occurred  at  an  up-coun- 
try bank,  situated  in  a  quartz-mining  district.  I  must 
first  explain  that  the  bank  building  is  situated  in  a  street, 
with  houses  on  both  sides,  and  that  any  noise  in  it  would 
readily  be  heard  by  the  neighbors.  -  One  young  fellow 
only  was  in  charge  of  the  place.  The  manager  of  a 
neighboring  branch  called  weekly  for  the  surplus  cash 
and  the  gold  bought  during  the  week.  The  youth  in 
charge  suddenly  reported  one  day  that  he  had  been 
"  stuck  up,"  as  the  colonial  phrase  is  for  being  robbed. 
He  said  that  one  night,  as  he  was  going  into  the  bank, 
where  he  slept — in  fact,  just  as  he  was  putting  the  key 
into  the  lock — a  man  came  up  to  him,  and,  clapping  a 
pistol  to  his  head,  demanded  the  key  of  the  safe.  He 
gave  it  him,  showed  him  where  the  gold  and  notes  were 
kept,  and,  in  fact,  enabled  the  robber  to  make  up  a  de- 
cent "  swag."  The  man,  whoever  he  was,  got  away  with 
all  the  money.  The  bank  thought  it  their  duty  to  pro- 
ceed against  the  clerk  himself  for  appropriating  the 
money ;  but  the  proof  was  insufficient,  and  the  verdict 
brought  in  was  "  Not  guilty." 

We  were  one  day  somewhat  alarmed  at  Majorca  by  a 


158  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

letter  received  from  our  manager  at  Maryborough,  in- 
forming us  that  a  great  many  bad  characters  were  known 
to  be  abroad  and  at  work,  and  cautioning  us  to  be  par- 
ticularly upon  our  guard.  We  were  directed  to  discharge 
our  fire-arms  frequently  and  keep  them  in  good  order,  so 
that  in  case  of  need  they  should  not  miss  fire.  We  were 
also  to  give  due  notice  when  we  required  notes  from 
Maryborough,  so  that  the  messenger  appointed  to  bring 
them  over  should  be  accompanied  by  a  complete  escort, 
i.  e.,  a  mounted  trooper.  All  this  was  very  alarming,  and 
we  prepared  for  events  accordingly. 

A  few  nights  after,  as  we  were  sitting  under  the  manse 
veranda,  we  heard  a  loud  cry  of  "  Stop  thief !"  The  rob- 
bers, then,  were  already  in  the  township !  We  jumped 
up  at  once,  looked  -round  the  corner  of  the  house,  and 
saw  two  men  running  off  as  fast  as  they  could,  followed 
at  some  distance  by  another  man  shouting  frantically 
"  Stop  thief !"  We  immediately  started  in  pursuit  of  the 
supposed  thieves.  We  soon  came  up  with  the  man  who 
had  been  robbed,  and  whom  we  found  swearing  in  a 
most  dreadful  way.  This  we  were  very  much  astonished 
at,  as  we  recognized  in  him  one  of  the  most  pious  Wes- 
ley ans  in  the  township.  But  we  soon  shot  ahead  of  him, 
and  gradually  came  up  with  the  thieves,  whom  we  at 
first  supposed  to  be  Chinamen.  As  we  were  close  upon 
them  they  suddenly  stopped,  turned  round,  and  burst  out 
laughing !  Surely  there  must  be  some  mistake.  We 
recognized  in  the  "  thieves"  the  son  of  the  old  gentleman 
whom  we  had  just  passed,  with  one  of  his  companions, 
who  had  pretended  to  steal  his  fowls,  as  Chinamen  are 
apt  to  do,  whereas  they  had  really  carried  off  nothing  at 


HO  UGH  LIFE  A  T  THE  DIG  G INGS- "STOP  THIEF? '       159 

all.     In   short,  we,  as  well  as  our  respected  Wesleyan 
friend,  felt  ourselves  completely  "  sold." 

The  only  attempt  at  dishonesty  practiced  upon  our 
branch  which  I  can  recollect  while  at  Majorca  was  one 
of  fraud,  and  not  of  force.  We  had  just  been  placed  in 
telegraphic  communication  with  the  other  towns  in  the 
colony.  The  opening  of  the  telegraph  was  celebrated, 
as  usual,  by  the  Town  Council  "  shouting"  Champagne. 
Some  time  before,  a  working-man,  who  had  some  money 
deposited  with  us,  called  in  a  fluster  to  say  his  receipts 
had  been  stolen.  This  was  noted.  Now  came  a  tele- 
gram from  Ballarat,  saying  that  a  receipt  of  our  branch 
had  been  presented  for  payment,  and  asking  if  it  was 
correct.  We  answered  sharp,  ordering  the  man  to  be 
detained.  He  was  accordingly  taken  into  custody,  hand- 
ed over  to  the  police,  arid  remanded  to  Newstead,  where 
the  receipt  had  been  stolen.  Newstead  is  a  long  way 
from  Majorca,  but  our  manager  drove  over  with  a  pair 
of  horses  to  give  his  evidence.  It  turned  out  that  our 
customer's  coat,  containing  the  receipt,  had  been  stolen 
while  he  was  at  his  work.  The  thief  was  identified  as 
having  been  seen  hanging  about  the  place,  and  the  result 
was  that  he  was  committed,  tried,  and  duly  convicted. 
So  you  see  that  we  are  pretty  smart  out  here,  and  not  a 
long  way  behind  the  old  country  after  all. 


1  60  1WUND  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

PLACES  ABOUT. 

Visit  to  Ballarat. — The  Journey  by  Coach. — Ballarat  founded  on  Gold. — 
Description  of  the  Town. — Ballarat  "Corner." — The  speculative  Cob- 
bler.— Fire  Brigades. — Eeturn  Journey. — Crab-holes. — The  T&ibot 
Ball.— The  Talbot  Fete.— The  Avoca  Races.— Sunrise  in  the  Bush. 

ONE  of  the  most  interesting  visits  to  places  that  I  made 
while  staying  at  Majorca  was  to  Ballarat,  the  mining 
capital  of  the  colony,  sometimes  called  here  the  Yicto- 
rian  Manchester.  The  time  of  my  visit  was  not  the  most 
propitious,  for  it  was  shortly  after  a  heavy  fall  of  rain, 
which  had  left  the  roads  in  a  very  bad  state.  But  I  will 
describe  my  journey. 

Three  of  us  hired  a  one-horse  buggy  to  take  us  on  to 
Clunes,  which  lay  in  our  way.  The  load  was  rather  too 
much  for  the  horse,  but  we  took  turn  and  turn  about  at 
walking,  and  made  it  as  light  for  the  animal  as  possible. 
At  Clunes  I  parted  with  my  companions,  who  deter- 
mined to  take  the  buggy  on  to  Ballarat.  I  thought  it 
preferable  to  wait  for  the  afternoon  coach ;  and,  after 
being  hospitably  entertained  at  dinner  by  the  manager 
of  our  branch  bank  at  Clunes,  I  took  my  place  in  the 
coach  for  Ballarat. 

We  had  not  gone  more  than  about  a  mile  when  the 
metaled  road  ended  and  the  Slough  of  Despond  began — 
the  road  so  called,  though  it  was  little  more  than  a  deep 
mud-track,  Ending  up  a  steepish  ascent.  All  the  pas- 


PL  A  CEti  ABO  UT.  161 

sengers  got  out  and  walked  up  the  hill.  In  the  distance 
we  saw  a  buggy  in  difficulties.  I  had  already  apprehend- 
ed the  fate  of  my  mates  who  had  gone  on  before  me, 
and  avoided  sharing  it  by  taking  my  place  in  the  coach. 
But  we  were  in  little  better  straits  ourselves.  When  we 
got  up  to  the  buggy,  we  found  it  fairly  stuck  in  the  mud 
in  one  of  the  worst  parts  of  the  road,  with  a  trace  broken. 
I  got  under  the  rails  of  the  paddock  in  which  the  coach 
passengers  were  walking — for  it  was  impossible  to  walk 
in  the  road — and  crossed  over  to  where  my  former  mates 
were  stuck.  They  were  out  in  the  deep  mud,  almost 
knee-deep,  trying  to  mend  the  broken  trace.  Altogether 
they  looked  in  a  very  sorry  plight. 

At  the  top  of  the  hill  we  again  mounted  the  coach, 
and  got  on  very  well  for  about  three  miles,  until  we  came 
to  another  very  bad  piece  of  road.  Here  we  diverged 
from  it  altogether,  and  proceeded  into  an  adjoining  field, 
so  as  to  drive  alongside  the  road,  and  join  it  a  little  far- 
ther on.  The  ground  looked  to  me  very  soft,  and  so  it 
was;  for  we  had  not  gone  far  when  the  coach  gave  a 
plunge,  and  the  wheels  sank  axle-deep  in  a  crab-hole. 
All  hands  had  now  to  set  to  work  to  help  the  coach  out 
of  the  mud,  while  the  driver  urged  his  horses  with  cries 
and  cracks  of  his  long  whip.  But  it  was  of  no  use.  The 
two  wheelers  were  fairly  exhausted,  and  their  struggling 
only  sent  them  deeper  into  the  mud.  The  horses  were 
then  unharnessed,  and  the  three  strongest  were  yoked  in 
a  line,  so  as  to  give  the  foremost  of  them  a  better  foot- 
hold. But  it  was  still  of  no  use.  It  was  not  until  the 
mud  round  the  wheels  had  been  all  dug  out,  and  the  pas- 
sengers lifted  the  hind  wheels  and  the  coach  bodily  up, 
that  the  horses  were  at  last  able  to  extricate  the  vehicle. 


162  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

By  this  time  we  were  all  in  a  sad  state  of  dirt  and  wet, 
for  the  rain  had  begun  to  fall  quite  steadily. 

Shortly  after,  we  reached  the  halfway  house  and 
changed  horses.  We  now  rattled  along  at  a  pretty  good 
pace.  But  every  now  and  then  the  driver  would  shout 
"  Look  out  inside !"  and  there  would  be  a  sudden  roll, 
followed  by  a  jerk  and  pitch  combined,  and  you  would 
be  thrown  over  upon  your  opposite  neighbor,  or  he  upon 
you.  At  last,  after  a  rather  uncomfortable  journey,  we 
reached  the  outskirts  of  a  large  town,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes more  we  found  ourselves  safely  jolted  into  Ballarat. 

I  am  not  at  all  up  in  the  statistics  of  the  colony,  and 
can  not  tell  the  population  or  the  number  of  inhabited 
houses  in  Ballarat.*  But  it  is  an  immense  place,  second 
in  importance  in  the  colony  only  to  Melbourne.  Big 
though  it  be,  like  most  of  these  up-country  towns,  Bal- 
larat originated  in  a  rush.  It  was  only  in  September, 
1851,  that  a  blacksmith  at  Buningong,  named  Hiscocks, 
who  had  long  been  searching  for  gold,  traced  a  moun- 
tain torrent  back  into  the  hills  toward  the  north,  and 
came  upon  the  rich  lode  which  soon  became  known  as 
the  "  Ballarat  Diggings."  When  the  rumor  of  the  dis- 
covery got  abroad,  there  was  a  great  rush  of  people  to 
the  place,  accompanied  by  the  usual  disorders ;  but  they 
gradually  settled  down,  and  Ballarat  was  founded.  The 
whole  soil  of  the  place  was  found  to  contain  more  or  less 
gold.  It  was  gathered  in  the  ranges,  on  the  flats,  in  the 
water-courses,  and  especially  in  the  small  veins  of  blue 
clay,  lying  almost  above  the  so-called  "  pipe-clay."  The 
gold  was,  to  all  appearance,  quite  pure,  and  was  found  in 

*  The  population  in  1857  was  4971  ;  in  1861,  21,104.  It  is  now  near- 
ly 50,000. 


PLACES  ABOUT.  163 

rolled  or  water-course  irregular  lumps  of  various  sizes, 
from  a  quarter  or  half  an  ounce  in  weight,  sometimes  in- 
corporated with  round  pebbles  of  quartz,  which  appeared 
to  have  formed  the  original  matrix. 

The  digging  was  at  first  for  the  most  part  alluvial,  but 
when  skilled  miners  arrived  from  England  operations 
were  begun  on  a  much  larger  scale,  until  now  it  is  con- 
ducted upon  a  regular  system,  by  means  of  costly  ma- 
chinery and  highly  organized  labor.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  extensive  character  of  the  operations,  I  may  men- 
tion that  one  company,  the  Band  of  Hope,  has  erected 
machinery  of  the  value  of  £70,000.  The  main  shaft, 
from  which  the  various  workings  branch  out,  is  420  feet 
deep ;  and  350  men  are  employed  in  and  about  the  mine. 
It  may  also  be  mentioned  that,  the  deeper  the  workings 
have  gone,  the  richer  has  been  the  yield  of  gold.  This 
one  company  has,  in  a  comparatively  short  time,  raised 
gold  worth  over  half  a  million  sterling;  the  quantity 
produced  by  the  Ballarat  mines,  since  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  September,  1851,  to  the  end  of  1866,  having  been 
worth  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  millions  sterling. 

The  morning  after  my  arrival  in  Ballarat  I  proceeded 
to  survey  the  town.  I  was  certainly  surprised  at  the 
fine  streets,  the  large  buildings,  and  the  number  of  peo- 
ple walking  along  the  broad  pathways.  Perhaps  my 
surprise  was  magnified  by  the  circumstance  that  nearly 
fifteen  months  had  passed  since  I  had  been  in  a  large 
town,  and,  after  Majorca,  Ballarat  seemed  to  me  like  a 
capital.  After  wandering  about  the  streets  for  half  an 
hour,  I  looked  into  the  court-house,  where  an  uninterest- 
ing case  of  drunkenness  was  being  heard.  I  next  went 
into  the  adjoining  large  building,  which  I  found  to  be 


164  RO  mVD  THE  WORL D. 

the  Public  Library.  The  commodious  reading-room  was 
amply  supplied  with  books,  magazines,  and  newspapers, 
and  here  I  amused  myself  for  an  hour  in  reading  a  new 
book.  Over  the  mantel-piece  of  the  large  room  hangs 
an  oil  painting  of  Prince  Alfred,  representing  him  and 
his  "  mates"  after  the  visit  they  had  made  to  one  of  the 
Ballarat  mines.  This  provision  of  excellent  reading- 
rooms — free  and  open  to  all — seems  to  me  an  admirable 
feature  of  the  Victorian  towns.  They  are  the  best  sort 
of  supplement  to  the  common  day-schools,  and  furnish  a 
salutary  refuge  for  all  sober-minded  men  from  the  temp- 
tations of  the  grog-shops.  But,  besides  the  Public  Li- 
bary,  there  is  also  the  Mechanics'  Institute  in  Sturt 
Street;  a  fine  building,  provided  also  with  a  large  li- 
brary, and  all  the  latest  English  newspapers,  free  to 
strangers. 

The  features  of  the  town  that  most  struck  me  in  the 
course  of  the  day  were  these.  First,  Sturt  Street ;  a  fine, 
broad  street,  at  least  three  chains  wide.  On  each  side 
are  large,  handsome  shops,  and  along  the  middle  of  the 
road  runs  a  broad  strip  of  garden,  with  large  trees  and 
well-kept  beds  of  flowers.  Sturt  Street  is  on  an  incline ; 
and  at  the  top  of  it  runs  Ledyard  Street,  at  right  angles, 
also  a  fine  broad  street.  ^  It  contains  the  principal  banks, 
of  which  I  counted  nine,  all  handsome  stone  buildings — 
the  London  Chartered,  built  on  a  foundation  of  blue- 
stone,  being  perhaps  the  finest  of  them  in  an  architectu- 
ral point  of  view.  Close  to  it  is  the  famous  "  Corner." 
What  the  Bourse  is  in  Paris,  Wall  Street  in  New  York, 
and  the  Exchange  in  London,  that  is  the  "  Corner"  at 
Ballarat.  Under  the  veranda  of  the  Unicorn  Hotel,  and 
close  to  the  Exchange  Buildings,  there  is  a  continual 


PLACES  ABOUT:  165 

swarm  of  speculators,  managers  of  companies,  and  min- 
ing men,  standing  about  in  groups,  very  like  so  many 
circles  of  betting-men  on  a  race-course.  Here  all  the 
mining  swindles  originate.  Specimens  of  gold-bearing 
quartz  are  shown,  shares  are  bought  and  sold,  new 
schemes  are  ventilated,  and  old  ones  revived.  Many  for- 
tunes have  been  lost  and  won  on  that  bit  of  pavement- 
One  man  is  reckoned  as  good  as  another  in  Ballarat. 
Even  the  cad  of  a  baker's  boy  has  the  chance  of  making 
"  a  pile,"  while  the  swell  broker,  who  dabbles  in  mines 
and  reefs,  may  be  beggared  in  a  few  days.  As  one  of 
the  many  instances  of  men  growing  suddenly  rich  by 
speculation  here,  I  may  mention  the  following.  A  short 
time  since,  a  cobbler  at  Ballarat  had  a  present  made  to 
him  of  twenty  scrip  in  a  company  that  was  looking  so 
bad  that  the  shares  had  become  unsalable.  The  cobbler 
knew  nothing  of  the  mine,  but  he  held  the  scrip.  Not 
only  so,  but  he  bought  more  at  a  shilling  or  two  apiece, 
and  he  went  on  accumulating  them,  until  at  the  end  of 
the  year  he  had  scraped  together  some  two  or  three  him-  • 
dred.  At  length  he  heard  that 'gold  had  been  struck. 
He  went  to  a  bank,  deposited  his  scrip  certificates,  and 
raised  upon  them  all  the  money  he  could  borrow.  He 
bought  more  shares.  They  trebled  in  value.  He  held 
on.  They  trebled  again.  At  last,  when  the  gold  was 
being  got  almost  by  the  bucket,  and  a  great  mania  for 
the  shares  had  set  in,  the  cobbler  sold  out  at  £250  a 
share,  and  found  himself  a  rich  man.  The  mine  was,  I 
think,  the  Sir  William  Don,  one  of  the  most  successful 
in  Ballarat,  now  yielding  a  dividend  of  about  £2  per 
share  per  month,  or  a  return  of  about  500  per  cent,  on 
the  paid-up  capital. 


166  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

But  to  return  to  my  description  of  Ballarat.  The 
town  lies  in  a  valley  between  two  slopes,  spreading  up 
on  both  sides  and  over  the  summits.  Each  summit  is 
surmounted  by  a  lofty  tower,  built  by  the  Eastern  and 
Western  Fire  Brigades.  These  towers  command  a  view 
of  the  whole  place,  and  are  continually  occupied  by 
watchmen,  who  immediately  give  the  alarm  on  the  out- 
break of  fire.  The  people  here  say  that  the  Ballarat 
Fire  Brigade  is  the  smartest  in  the  southern  hemisphere, 
though  the  engines  are  all  manned  by  volunteers ;  and  a 
fire  must  be  a  serious  matter  in  Ballarat,  where  so  many 
of  the  buildings — stores  as  well  as  dwellings — are  built 
entirely  of  wood.  Many  of  the  streets  are  even  paved 
with  wood. 

In  the  afternoon  I  ascended  the  western  hill,  from 
which  I  obtained  a  fine  bird's-eye  view  of  the  town. 
The  large,  broad  streets,  at  right  angles  to  each  other, 
looked  well  laid  out,  neat,  and  clean  looking.  What 
seemed  strangest  of  all  was  the  lazy  puffing  of  the  en- 
gines over  the  claims,  throwing  out  their  white  jets  of 
steam.  But  for  the  width  of  the  streets  and  the  clean- 
ness of  the  place,  one  might  also  have  taken  Ballarat  for 
a  manufacturing  town  in  Yorkshire,  though  they  have  no 
flower-gardens  along  the  middle  of  their  streets ! 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  Opera— for  Ballarat  has 
an  Opera !  The  piece  was  "  Faust,"  and  was  performed 
by  Lyster  and  Smith's  company  from  Melbourne.  The 
performers  did  their  best,  but  I  can  not  say  they  are  very 
strong  in  opera  yet  at  the  Antipodes. 

After  thoroughly  doing  Ballarat  I  set  out  on  my  re- 
turn to  Majorca.  There  was  the  same  jolting  as  before, 
but  this  time  the  coach  did  not  stick  in  the  mud.  On 


PLACES  ABOUT.  Igf 

reaching  Chines,  I  resolved  to  walk  straight  to  Majorca 
across  the  plain,  instead  of  going  the  roundabout  way  by 
the  road.  But  the  straightest  route  is  not  always  the 
shortest,  as  my  experience  on  this  occasion  proved.  I 
had  scarcely  got  fairly  into  the  plain  before  I  found  my- 
self in  the  midst  of  a  succession  of  crab-holes.  These 
are  irregular  depressions,  about  a  yard  or  so  apart,  form- 
ed by  the  washing  up  of  the  soil  by  eddies  during  floods, 
and  now  the  holes  were  all  full  of  water.  It  was  a  dif- 
ficult and  tedious  process  to  work  one's  way  through 
among  them,  for  they  seemed  to  dovetail  into  one  anoth- 
er, and  often  I  had  to  make  a  considerable  detour  to  get 
round  the  worst  of  them.  This  crab-holey  ground  con- 
tinued for  about  four  miles,  after  which  I  struck  into  the 
bush,  making  for  the  ranges,  and  keeping  Mount  Green- 
ock  and  Mount  Glasgow  before  me  as  landmarks.  'Not 
being  a  good  bushman,  I  suspect  I  went  several  miles 
out  of  my  way.  However,  by  dint  of  steady  walking,  I 
continued  to  do  the  sixteen  miles  in  about  four  hours ; 
but  if  I  have  ever  occasion  to  walk  from  Clunes  again,  I 
will  take  care  to  take  the  roundabout  road,  and  not  to 
make  the  journey  en  zigzag  round  crab-holes  and  through 
the  bush. 

Among  the  other  places  about  here  that  I  have  visit- 
ed were  Talbot,  about  seven  miles  distant,  and  Avoca, 
about  twenty.  One  of  the  occasions  of  my  going  to 
Talbot  was  to  attend  a  ball  given  there,  and  another  to 
attend  a  great  f  Ste  for  the  benefit  of  the  Amherst  Hos- 
pital. Talbot  gives  its  name  to  the  county,  though  by 
no  means  the  largest  town  in  it.  The  town  is  very  neat 
and  tidy,  and  contains  some  good  stone  and  brick  build- 
ings. It  consists  of  one  principal  street,  with  several 
little  offshoots. 


168  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

The  ball  was  very  like  a  ball  at  home,  though  a  little 
more  mixed.  The  young  ladies  were  some  of  them  very 
pretty  and  nicely  dressed — some  in  dresses  "  direct  from 
London"  —  while  a  few  of  the  elder  ladies  were  gor- 
geous, but  incongruous.  One  old  lady,  in  a  juvenile 
dress,  wore  an  enormous  gold  brooch,  large  enough  to 
contain  the  portraits  of  several  families.  I  was  aston- 
ished to  learn  the  great  distances  that  some  of  the  la- 
dies and  gentlemen  had  come  to  be  present  at  the  ball. 
Some  had  driven  through  the  bush  twenty  and  even 
thirty  miles ;  but  distance  is  thought  nothing  of  here,  es- 
pecially when  there  is  a  chance  of  "  meeting  company." 
The  ball  was  given  in  the  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  a  large 
square  room.  One  end  of  it  was  partitioned  off  as  a 
supper-room,  and  on  the  partition  was  sewn  up  in  large 
letters  this  couplet  from  "  Childe  Harold :" 

"No  sleep  till  morn,  when  Youth  and  Pleasure  meet, 
To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet." 

And,  to  speak  the  truth,  the  young  ladies,  as  well  as  the 
young  gentlemen  present,  did  ample  justice  to  the  text. 
The  dancing  continued  until  daybreak,  and  we  drove 
back  to  Majorca  as  the  sun  was  rising;  but  remember  it 
was  summer  time,  in  November,  when  the  sun  rises  very 
early. 

One  little  event  arose  out  of  this  ball  which  may 
serve  to  illustrate  the  comparative  freeness  of  up-coun- 
try manners.  A  nice  young  lady  with  whom  I  danced 
asked  me  if  I  would  not  like  to  be  very  great  friends 
with  her.  "  Oh  yes,  certainly."  And  great  friends  we 
became  at  once.  Perhaps  she  took  pit}7  on  the  stranger 
boy  so  far  from  home.  She  asked  if  I  was  fond  of  rid- 
ing. "  Very  fond."  "  Then  I  will  come  over  to  Major- 


PLACES  ABOUT.  169 

ca,  and  call  upon  you,  and  we  shall  have  a  ride  in  the 
bush  together."  And  I  was  to  be  sure  and  have  some 
sweets  ready  for  her,  as  she  was  very  fond  of  them.  I 
took  this  to  be  merely  a  little  ballroom  chaff;  but  judge 
my  surprise  when,  next  afternoon,  the  young  lady  rode 
up  to  the  bank  door  and  called  on  me  to  fulfill  my 
promise — which  I  did,  lollipops  and  all. 

A  great  event  in  Talbot  is  the  Annual  Fete,  held  on 
the  Prince  of  Wales's  birthday,  which  is  observed  as  a 
public  holiday  in  Victoria.  The  fete  this  year  was  held 
in  aid  of  the  funds  of  Amherst  Hospital,  a  valuable  lo- 
cal institution.  At  this  affair  the  whole  population  of 
the  neighborhood  turned  out.  It  began  at  midday  with 
a  grand  procession  through  the  town.  Let  me  endeavor 
to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  pageant.  First  came  the 
well -mounted  Chines  Lancers,  in  their  light  blue  and 
white  uniforms,  150  strong,  blue  and  white  pennons  flut- 
tering from  their  long  lances.  Then  came  lines  of  mem- 
bers of  Friendly  Societies,  in  gay  scarves,  accompanied 
by  banners.  Then  a  good  band  of  music.  The  Talbot 
42d  Sectional  Lancers  next  turn  the  corner  of  the  street, 
gorgeous  in  scarlet  and  white.  Then  comes  something 
comic — a  Welsh  lady  and  gentleman  riding  a  pony  bare- 
backed. These  are  followed  by  an  Irish  couple,  also 
mounted.  Then  comes  a  Highlandman,  in  a  vehicle 
such  as  the  Highlands  never  saw,  discoursing  music  from 
his  bagpipes.  A  large  open  boat  follows,  mounted  on  a 
car ;  it  is  filled  with  sailor-boys  in  blue  and  white.  This 
boat  is  a  model  of  the  "  Cerberus,"  the  turret-ship  that 
Mr.  Reed  is  building  in  England  for  the  defense  of  Port 
Phillip.  A  genuine  old  salt,  with  long  white  hair,  plays 
the  part  of  admiral.  In  cocked  hat,  blue  admiral's  coat, 

H 


170  MOUND  THE  WOULD. 

and  white  ducks,  he  waves  his  sword  frantically,  and 
gives  the  word  of  command  to  repel  boarders;  all  the 
while  two  little  cannons  in  the  model  are  being  con- 
stantly fired,  reloaded,  and  fired  again.  This  noisy  ex- 
hibition having  passed,  a  trophy  representing  the  Aus- 
tralian chase  appears.  A  huntsman,  dressed  in  green, 
blowing  his  horn,  stands  amid  some  bushes  holding  a 
handsome  leash  of  hounds;  dead  kangaroos  and  other 
Australian  animals  lie  around  him.  Then. follow  more 
lancers.  After  this  comes  a  huge  car,  two  stories  high, 
with  all  sorts  of  odd  characters  in  it :  a  clown,  with  his 
"  Here  we  are  again !"  playing  pranks  on  two  sedate- 
looking  Chinamen ;  a  little  fairy  boy  or  girl  flirting  with 
a  magician;  dragons  snapping;  strange  birds  screech- 
ing ;  three  bears,  one  playing  a  violin,  but  the  tune  it 
plays  is  drowned  by  the  hubbub  of  noise  and  bands.  A 
lady,  of  the  time  of  Elizabeth,  gorgeous  in  ruffles,  fol- 
lows on  horseback.  Then  knights  in  armor,  one  of  them 
with  a  stuffed  'possum  snarling  on  the  top  of  his  helmet. 
Another  band.  Then  the  solemn  brethren  of  the  Order 
of  Druids,  in  white  gowns,  bald  heads,  and  gray  beards. 
A  company  of  sweeps  comes  next,  attended  by  an  active 
Jack -in -the -Green.  Now  an  Indian  doctor  appears, 
smoking  a  long  pipe  in  his  chariot,  drawn  by  a  Brahmin 
bull.  Another  band,  and  then  the  rear  is  brought  up  by 
more  cavalry.  There  were  seven  bands — good  ones  too 
—in  the  procession,  which  took  fully  twenty  minutes  to 
pass  the  hotel,  on  the  balcony  of  which  I  stood.  I  have 
seen  the  London  Lord  Mayor's  Show,  but  must  confess 
the  Talbot  procession  beats  it  hollow. 

After  the  procession  we  all  adjourned  to  the  race- 
course, where  the  collection  for  the  hospital  was  to  be 


PL  A  CES  ABOUT.  171 

made.  The  admission  was  eighteen  pence ;  a  good  sum 
for  working-people  to  give,  yet  every  body  was  there. 
There  was  an  amateur  Richardson's  show,  a  magician's 
tent,  Cheap  Johns,  merry-go-rounds,  and  all  sorts  of 
amusements  to  be  had  by  paying  for  them ;  and,  above 
all,  there  was  the  bazar,  presided  over  by  the  ladies  of 
Talbot,  who  succeeded  in  selling  a  large  quantity  of  use- 
less things  at  the  usual  exorbitant  prices.  There  was 
also  a  large  dancing  platform  roofed  with  canvas,  which 
was  very  well  frequented.  Most  popular  of  all,  perhaps, 
were  the  refreshment  bars,  where  the  publicans  gave  the 
liquor  free,  but  charged  the  usual  prices  for  the  good  of 
the  hospital  fund;  and  the  teetotallers,  not  to  be  out- 
done, managed  a  very  comfortable  tea-room.  In  short, 
all  the  usual  expedients  for  raising  money  were  cleverly 
resorted  to,  and  the  result  was  that  between  £1400  and 
£1500  was  added  to  the  funds  of  the  hospital,  about 
£500  of  which  was  taken  at  the  ladies'  bazar.  Alto- 
gether there  were  not  less  than  5000  people  on  the 
ground,  though  I  believe  the  newspapers  gave  a  consid- 
erably higher  number. 

The  Avoca  races  were  not  very  different  from  races 
in  England.  Every  town  hereabouts  has  its  races,  even 
Majorca.  The  Carisbrooke  race-course,  about  four  miles 
from  our  town,  is  considered  second  to  none  in  the  col- 
ony. Avoca,  however,  is  a  bigger  place,  and  the  races 
there  draw  a  much  larger  crowd.  We  drove  the  twenty 
miles  thither  by  road  and  bush-track.  The  ground  was 
perfectly  dry,  for  there  had  been  no  rain  for  some  time ; 
and  as  the  wind  was  in  our  faces,  it  drove  the  clouds  of 
dust  behind  us.  I  found  the  town  itself  large  and  well 
built.  What  particularly  struck  me  was  the  enormous 


172  RO  UND  THE  WORLD. 

width  of  the  main  street — at  least  three  chains  wide. 
The  houses  on  either  side  of  the  road  were  so  remote 
from  each  other  that  they  might  have  belonged  to  differ- 
ent townships.  I  was  told  that  the  reason  of  this  great 
width  of  street  was,  that  the  government  had  reserved 
this  broad  space  of  ground,  the  main  street  of  Avoca 
forming  part  of  the  road  to  Adelaide,  which  may  at 
some  future  time  become  a  great  and  crowded  highway. 
One  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  town  is  a  handsome 
hotel,  built  of  stone  and  brick,  provided  with  a  ballroom, 
billiard-rooms,  and  such  like.  It  is  altogether  the  finest 
up-country  place  of  the  kind  that  I  have  seen.  Here  we 
put  up,  and  join  the  crowd  of  loungers  under  the  veran- 
da— young  swells' got  up  in  high  summer  costume — cut- 
away coats,  white  hats,  and  blue  net  veils,  just  as  at  Ep- 
som on  the  Derby  Day.  There  are  also  others,  heavy- 
looking  colonials,  who  have  come  out  evidently  to  make 
a  day  of  it,  and  are  already  freely  imbibing  cold  brandy 
and  water.  Traps  and  cars  are  passing  up  and  down 
the  street  in  quest  of  passengers  for  the  race-course, 
about  two  miles  from  the  town. 

There  we  find  the  same  sort  of  entertainments  pro- 
vided for  the  public  as  on  like  occasions  at  home.  The 
course  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  extent,  with  the 
ground  well  cleared.  There  is  the  saddling  paddock,  in 
which  the  "  knowing  ones"  take  great  interest ;  and  there 
are  the  usual  booths  for  the  sale  of  refreshments,  and 
especially  of  drink.  In  front  of  the  grand  stand,  the 
betting-men  from  Melbourne  are  pointed  out  to  me :  a 
sharp,  rough-looking  set  they  are,  dressed  in  Tweed  suits 
and  flash  ties,  wearing  diamond  rings.  One  of  them,  a 
blear-eyed,  tall,  strong  man,  with  bushy  brown  whiskers, 


PLAOES  ABOUT.  173 

bawling  out  his  "  two  to  one"  on  such  and  such  a  horse 
— an  ugly-looking  customer — was  described  to  me  as 
"  the  second  biggest  blackguard  in  Victoria ;  give  him  a 
wide  berth."  Another  of  the  betting-men  was  pointed 
out  to  me  as  having  been  a  guard  on  the  Southeastern 
Kailway  some  ten  years  ago.  I  need  not  describe  the 
races :  they  were  like  most  others.  There  were  flat  races 
and  hurdle  races.  Six  horses  ran  for  the  District  Plate. 
Four  of  them  came  in  to  the  winning-post  running  neck 
and  neck.  The  race  was  won  by  only  a  head. 

My  friend  remained  on  the  course  until  it  was  too  late 
to  return  to  Majorca  that  night.  As  the  moon  did  not 
rise  until  toward  morning,  we  were  under  the  necessity 
of  waiting  until  then,  otherwise  we  might  get  benighted  < 
in  the  bush.  We  tried  to  find  a  bed  in  the  hotel,  but  in 
vain.  All  the  beds  and  sofas  in  Avoca  were  occupied. 
Even  the  billiard-tables  were  engaged  for  the  night. 

"We  set  out  on  our  return  journey  to  Majorca  just  as 
the  moon  was  rising.  She  was  only  in  her  second  quar- 
ter, and  did  not  yet  give  light  enough  to  enable  us  to  see 
the  road  very  clearly,  so  that  we  went  very  cautiously  at 
first.  While  my  companion  drove,  I  snatched  the  oppor- 
tunity for  a -sleep.  1  nodded  and  dozed  from  time  to 
time,  wakening  up  suddenly  to  find  a  large  bright  star 
blinking  before  my  eyes.  The  star  sank  lower  and  lower 
to  ward 'the  horizon.  The  green-gold  rays  of  the  morn- 
ing sun  rose  up  to  meet  it.  The  star  hovered  between 
the  pale  growing  light  below  and  the  dark  blue  sky 
above.  Then  it  melted  away  in  the  glow  of  sunrise. 
The  half  moon  still  cast  our  shadow  on  the  dusty  track. 
But  not  for  long.  The  zone  of  yellow  light  in  the  east 
grows  rapidly  larger  and  brighter.  The  brilliant  edge 


174  BOUND  THE  WORLD. 

of  the  god  of  day  tips  the  horizon ;  a  burst  of  light  fol- 
lows ;  and  now  the  morning  sun,  day's  harbinger, "  comes 
dancing  up  the  east."  The  summits  of  the  trees  far 
away  in  the  silent  bush  are  bathed  in  gold.  The  nearer 
trees,  that  looked  so  weird-like  in  the  moon's  half  light, 
are  now  decked  in  green.  The  chill  of  the  night  has  de- 
parted. It  is  already  broad  day.  By  the  time  we  reach 
Amherst,  eight  miles  from  Majorca,  we  are  glad  to  shade 
ourselves  from  the  blazing  sun.  In  an  hour  more  we 
reach  our  destination,  and  after  breakfast  and  a  bath  are 
ready  to  begin  the  day's  duties. 


CONCL  USION  OF  MAJOItCAN  LIFE.  \  75 


CHAPTEE  XVII. 

CONCLUSION   OF   MAJORCAN   LIFE. 

Victorian  Life  English. — Arrival  of  the  Home  Mail.— News  of  the  Franco- 
German  War. — The  German  Settlers  in  Majorca. — The  single  French- 
man.—Majorcan  Public  Teas.— The  Church.— The  Ranters.— The  Tee- 
totalers.—  The  Common  School. —The  Roman  Catholics. — Common 
School  Fete  and  Entertainment. — The  Mechanics'  Institute. — Funeral 
of  the  Town  Clerk. — Departure  from  Majorca.— The  Colony  of  Victoria. 

THE  reader  will  observe,  from  what  I  have  above  writ- 
ten, that  life  in  Victoria  is  very  much  like  life  in  En- 
gland. There  are  the  same  people,  the  same  callings, 
the  same  pleasures  and  pursuits,  and,  as  some  would 
say,  the  same  follies  and  vices.  There  are  the  same  re- 
ligious bodies,  the  same  political  movements,  the  same 
social  agencies — Teetotal  Societies,  Mechanics'  Institutes, 
Friendly  Societies,  and  such  like.  Indeed,  Victoria  is 
only  another  England,  with  a  difference,  at  the  Antip- 
odes. The  character,  the  habits  of  life,  and  tone  of 
thought  of  the  people  are  essentially  English. 

You  have  only  to  see  the  interest  with  which  the  ar- 
rival of  every  mail  from  England  is  watched  to  recog- 
nize the  strength  of  the  tie  that  continues  to  unite  the 
people  of  the  colony  with  those  of  the  old  country.  A 
flag  is  hoisted  over  the  Melbourne  Post-office  to  announce 
its  coming,  and  soon  the  news  is  flashed  by  telegraph  all 
over  the  colony.  Every  local  post-office  is  eagerly  be- 
sieged by  the  expecters  of  letters  and  newspapers.  Speak- 


176  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

ing  for  myself,  my  most  exciting  day  in  the  month  was 
that  on  which  my  home  letters  arrived ;  and  I  wrote  at 
intervals  all  through  the  month  against  the  departure  of 
the  outgoing  mail. 

The  excitement  throughout  the  colony  became  intense 
when  the  news  arrived  from  England  of  the  defeat  of 
the  French  before  Metz.  The  first  news  came  by  the 
"  Point  de  Galle,"  and  then,  six  clays  later,  intelligence 
was  received  via  San  Francisco,  of  the  disaster  at  Sedan. 
Crowds  besieged  the  office  of  the  local  paper  at  Talbot 
when  the  mail  was  telegraphed,  and  the  doors  had  to  be 
shut  to  keep  them  out  until  the  telegram  could  be  set  up 
in  type  and  struck  off.  At  first  the  news  was  not  be- 
lieved, it  was  so  extraordinary  and  unexpected  ;  but  the 
Germans  in  the  town  accepted  it  at  once  as  true,  and  be- 
gan their  rejoicings  forthwith.  The  Irish  at  Talbot  were 
also  very  much  excited,  and  wished  to  have  a  fight,  but 
they  did  not  exactly  know  with  whom. 

There  are  considerable  numbers  of  Germans  settled 
throughout  the  colony,  and  they  are  a  very  useful  and 
industrious  class  of  settlers.  They  are,  for  the  most  part, 
sober  and  hard-working  men.  I  must  also  add  that  they 
minister  in  no  small  degree  to  the  public  amusement.  At 
Maryborough  they  give  very  good  concerts.  Here,  the 
only  band  in  the  town  is  furnished  by  the  German  set- 
tlers, and,  being  a  very  good  one,  it  is  in  request  on  all 
public  occasions.  The  greater  number  of  the  Germans 
live  at  M'Cullum's  Creek,  about  a  mile  distant,  where 
they  have  recently  opened  a  Yerein  or  Club,  celebrating 
the  event,  as  usual,  by  a  dance.  It  was  a  very  gay  affair. 
The  frantic  Deutschers  and  their  f raus  danced  like  mad 
things — Tyrolese  waltzes  and  old-fashioned  quadrilles. 


CONCL  USION  OF  MAJOR  CAN  LIFE.  \  7  f 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  singing  in  praise  of  Yaterland 
and  Freundschaft,  with  no  end  of  "  Hochs !"  They  kept 
it  up,  I  was  told,  until  broad  daylight,  dispersing  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

The  Germans  also  give  an  annual  picnic,  which  is  a 
great  event  in  the  place.  There  is  a  procession  in  the 
morning,  headed  by  their  band  and  the  German  tri-color 
flag.  In  the  afternoon  there  are  sports,  and  in  the  even- 
ing continuous  dancing  in  a  large  marquee.  One  of  the 
chief  sports  of  the  afternoon  is  "  Shooting  at  the  Eagle" 
with  a  cross-bow,  and  trying  to  knock  off  the  crown  or 
sceptre  from  the  effigy  of  a  bird,  crowned  with  an  eagle 
and  holding  a  sceptre,  stuck  up  on  the  top  of  a  high 
pole.  The  crown  or  the  sceptre  represents  a  high  prize, 
and  each  feather  struck  off  represents  a  prize  of  some 
value  or  other. 

The  French  have  only  one  representative  in  the  town. 
As  I  soon  got  to  know  every  body  in  the  place,  dropping 
in  upon  them  in  their  houses,  and  chatting  with  them 
about  the  last  news  from  home,  I  also  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  Frenchman.  He  had  last  come  from  Buenos 
Ayres,  accompanied  by  madame.  Of  course  the  news 
about  the  defeat  of  the  French  army  was  all  false— 
merely  a  vile  canard.  We  shall  soon  know  all.  I  con- 
fess I  like  this  French  couple  very  much,  their  little 
house  is  always  so  trim  and  neat.  Fresh-plucked  flowers 
are  usually  set  out  on  the  mantel-piece,  on  the  arrange- 
ment and  decoration  of  which  madame  evidently  prides 
herself.  Good  taste  is  so  cheap  and  so  pleasant  a  thing 
that  I  wish  it  were  possible  for  these  French  people  to 
inoculate  their  neighbors  with  a  little  of  it.  But  rough 
plenty  seems  to  be  sufficient  for  the  Anglo-Saxon. 

112 


178  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

I  must  tell  you  of  a  few  more  of  the  doings  of  the 
place,  to  show  how  very  much  life  here  resembles  life  in 
England.  The  place  is  of  course  newer,  the  aggregation 
of  society  is  more  recent,  life  is  more  rough  and  ready, 
more  free  and  easy,  and  that  is  nearly  all  the  difference. 
The  people'have  brought  with  them  from  the  old  coun- 
try their  habits  of  industry,  their  taste  for  holidays,  their 
religious  spirit,  their  desire  for  education,  their  love  of 
home  life. 

Public  Teas  are  an  institution  in  Majorca,  as  at  home. 
There  being  but  little  provision  for  the  maintenance  ot 
religious  worship,  there  is  a  constant  whipping  up  for 
money,  and  tea-meetings  are  usually  resorted  to  for  the 
purpose  of  stimulating  the  flagging  energies  of  the  peo- 
ple. Speakers  from  a  distance  are  advertised,  provisions 
and  hot  water  are  provided  in  abundance,  and  after  a 
gorge  of  tea  and  buns,  speeches  are  tired  off,  and  the  hat 
goes  round. 

We  had  a  great  disappointment  on  one  occasion,  when 
the  Archdeacon  of  Castlemaine  was  advertised  to  preach 
a  sermon  in  aid  of  our  Church  Fund,  and  preside  at  the 
subsequent  tea-meeting.  Posters  were  stuck  up ;  great 
preparatory  arrangements  were  made ;  but  the  archdea- 
con did  not  come.  Some  hitch  must  have  occurred. 
But  we  had  our  tea  nevertheless. 

The  Eanters  also  are  great  at  tea-meetings,  but  still 
greater  at  revival  meetings.  Matthew  Burnett,  "  the 
great  Yorkshire  evangelist,"  came  to  our  town  to  rouse 
us  from  our  apathy,  and  he  certainly  contrived  to  work 
up  many  people,  especially  women,  to  a  high  pitch  of  ex- 
citement. The  meetings  being  held  in  the  evenings,  and 
continued  far  into  the  nights,  the  howling,  shouting,  and 


CONCL  USION  OF  MAJOR  CAN  LIFE.  179 

groaning  were  by  no  means  agreeable  noises  to  such  sin- 
ners in  their  immediate  neighborhood  as  slept  lightly,  of 
whom  I  was  one. 

Burnett  was,  at  the  same  time,  the  great  star  of  the 
Teetotalers,  who  held  him  in  much  esteem.  He  was  a 
man  of  a  rough  sort  of  eloquence,  probably  the  best  suit- 
ed for  the  sort  of  people  whom  he  came  to  address  and 
sought  to  reclaim ;  for  fine  tools  are  useless  for  doing 
rough  work.  Another  very  good  speaker  at  their  meet- 
ings was  known  as  Yankee  Bill,  whose  homely  appeals 
were  often  very  striking,  and  even  affecting  in  a  degree. 
At  intervals  they  sang  hymns,  and  sang  them  very  well. 
They  thus  cultivated  some  taste  for  music.  They  also 
kept  people  for  the  time  being  out  of  their  favorite 
"  publics."  Like  many  teetotalers,  however,  they  were 
very  intolerant  of  non-teetotalers.  Some  even  went  so 
far  as  to  say  that  one  must  be  a  teetotaler  to  get  to 
heaven.  Yet,  notwithstanding  all  their  exaggerations, 
the  teetotalers  do  much  good,  and  their  rough  appeals 
often  penetrate  hearts  and  heads  that  would  be  impervi- 
ous to  gentler  and  finer  influences. 

Let  me  not  forget  to  mention  the  public  entertain- 
ments got  up  for  the  benefit  of  the  common  school  of 
the  town.  The  existing  schools  being  found  too  small 
for  the  large  number  of  children  who  attend,  it  was  pro- 
posed to  erect  another  wing  for  the  purposes  of  an  in- 
fant school.  With  this  object,  active  efforts  were  made 
to  raise  subscriptions,  the  understanding  being  that  the 
government  gives  a  pound  for  every  pound  collected  in 
the  district. 

The  difficulties  in  managing  these  common  schools 
seem  to  be  considerable,  where  members  of  different  re- 


180  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

ligious  persuasions  sit  on  the  managing  committee.  At 
Majorca  the  principal  difficulty  seemed  to  be  with  the 
Eoman  Catholics,  and  it  was  said  that  their  priest  had 
threatened  to  refuse  absolution  to  such  parents  as  allowed 
their  children  to  attend  the  common  school.  Whatever 
truth  there  might  be  in  this  story,  it  is  certain  that  about 
thirty-six  children  were  withdrawn,  and  instead  of  con- 
tinuing to  receive  the  elements  of  a  good  education,  they 
were  intrusted  to  the  care  of  an  old  man  quite  incompe- 
tent for  the  office,  but  who  was  of  the  right  faith. 

I  was  enlisted  as  a  collector  for  the  school  fund,  and 
went  round  soliciting  subscriptions,  but  I  found  it  up-hill 
work.  My  district  lay  in  the  suburbs,  and  I  was  by  no 
means  successful.  A  good  many  of  those  I  called  upon 
were  Ranters,  and  I  suspect  that  the  last  sensation  preach- 
er had  carried  off  what  otherwise  might  have  fallen  to 
my  share.  I  was  tolerably  successful  with  the  diggers 
working  at  their  claims.  At  least  they  always  gave  me 
a  civil  answer.  One  of  them  said, "  Well,  if  our  washing 
turns  out  well  on  Saturday,  you  shall  have  five  shil- 
lings." And  the  washing  must  have  turned  out  well, 
for  on  Saturday  evening  the  digger  honestly  brought  me 
the  sum  he  had  named. 

Further  to  help  the  fund,  a  fete  was  held  in  the  open 
air,  and  an  entertainment  was  given  by  amateurs  in  the 
Prince  of  Wales's  Theatre  —  for  our  little  town  also 
boasts  of  its  theatre.  The  fete  was  held  on  Easter  Mon- 
day, which  was  kept  as  a  holiday,  and  it  commenced 
with  a  grand  procession  of  Odd  Fellows,  Foresters,  Ger- 
man Yerein,  Rechabites,  and  other  clubs,  all  in  their 
Sunday  clothes,  and  many  of  them  wearing  very  gor- 
geous scarves.  -The  German  band  headed  the  proces- 


CONGL  USION  OF  MAJOR  CAN  LIFE.  j  3  j 

sion,  which  proceeded  toward  the  paddock  at  M'Cullum's 
Creek  used  on  such  festive  occasions.  There  all  the 
contrivances  usually  adopted  for  extracting  money  from 
the  pockets  of  the  visitors  were  in  full  operation.  There 
was  a  bazar,  in  which  all  manner  of  useless  things  were 
offered  for  sale,  together  with  raffles,  bowls,  croquet, 
dancing,  shooting  at  the  eagle,  tilting  at  the  ring,  and  all 
sorts  of  sports — a  small  simi  being  paid  on  entry.  I 
took  up  with  a  forlorn  Aunt  Sally,  standing  idle  without 
customers,  and  by  dint  of  sedulous  efforts  contrived  to 
gather  about  a  pound  in  an  hour  and  a  half.  All  did 
their  best ;  and  thus  a  pleasant  day  was  spent,  and  a 
good  round  sum  of  money  was  collected  for  the  fund. 

The  grand  miscellaneous  entertainment  was  also  a 
complete  success.  The  theatre  was  filled  with  a  highly 
respectable  audience,  including  many  gayly -dressed  la- 
dies, and  all  the  belles  of  Majorca  and  the  neighborhood. 
Indeed,  I  wondered  where  they  could  all  come  from. 
The  performances  excited  the  greater  interest,  as  the 
whole  of  them  were  by  amateurs,  well  known  in  the 
place.  The  songs  went  off  well,  and  several  of  them 
were  encored.  After  the  concert  the  seats  were  cleared 
away,  and  the  entertainment  wound  up  with  the  usual 
dance.  And  thus  did  we  each  endeavor  to  do  our  share 
of  pleasant  labor  for  the  benefit  of  the  common  school. 

The  reading-room  of  the  Mechanics'  Institute  is  al- 
ways a  source  of  entertainment  when  nothing  else  offers. 
The  room  is  small,  but  convenient,  and  it  contains  a  fail- 
collection  of  books.  The  Telegraph  Office,  the  Post-of- 
fice, Council  Chamber,  and  Mechanics'  Institute  all  occu- 
py one  building — not  a  very  extensive  one,  being  only  a 
one-storied  wooden  erection.  One  of  the  chief  attrac- 


182  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

tions  of  the  reading-room  is  a  collection  of  colonial  pa- 
pers, with  "  Punch,"  "  The  Illustrated  News,"  and  the 
"  Irish  Nation."  On  Saturday  nights,  when  the  diggers 
wash  up  and  come  into  town,  the  room  is  always  well 
tilled  with  readers.  The  members  of  the  committee  are 
also  very  active  in  getting  up  entertainments  and  popu- 
lar readings ;  and,  in  short,  the  Mechanics'  Institute  may 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  civilizing  institutions  in 
the  place. 

But  my  time  in  Majorca  was  drawing  to  an  end.  One 
of  the  last  public  events  in  which  I  took  part  was  at- 
tending the  funeral  of  our  town  clerk,  the  first  funeral  I 
have  ever  had  occasion  to  be  present  at.  A  long  pro- 
cession followed  his  remains  to  the  cemetery.  Almost 
all  the  men  in  the  township  attended,  for  the  deceased 
was  highly  respected.  The  service  was  very  solemn, 
held  under  the  bright,  clear,  blue  Australian  sky.  Poor 
old  man !  I  knew  him  well.  I  had  seen  him  so  short  a 
time  ago  in  the  hospital,  where,  three  hours  before  he 
died,  he  gave  me  his  blessing.  He' was  then  lying  flush- 
ed and  in  great  pain.  All  that  is  over  now.  "  Dust  to 
dust,  and  ashes  to  ashes."  The  earth  sounded  as  it  fell 
upon  his  coffin,  and  now  the  good  man  sleeps  in  peace, 
leaving  a  blessed  memory  behind  him. 

I  was  now  under  orders  for  home.  My  health  was 
completely  re-established.  I  might  have  remained,  and 
perhaps  succeeded  in  the  colony.  As  it  was,  I  carried 
with  me  the  best  wishes  of  my  employers.  But  I  had 
no  desire  to  pursue  the  career  of  bank  clerk  farther.  I 
was  learning  but  little,  and  had  my  own  proper  business 
to  pursue,  so  I  made  arrangements  for  leaving  Australia. 


CONCL  US10N  OF  MAJ ORGAN  LIFE.  \  83 

Enough  money  had  been  remitted  me  from  England  to 
enable  me  to  return  direct  by  first-class  ship,  leaving  me 
free  to  choose  my  own  route.  As  I  might  never  have 
another  opportunity  of  seeing  that  great  new  country, 
the  United  States  of  America,  the  question  occurred 
whether  I  might  not  be  able  to  proceed  up  the  Pacific 
to  San  Francisco,  via  Honolulu,  and  cross  America  by 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railway.  On  inquiry,  I  found 
it  would  be  practicable,  but  not  by  first-class.  So  I  re- 
solved to  rough  it  a  little,  and  proceed  by  that  route  sec- 
ond-class, for  which  purpose  my  funds  w^ould  be  suffi- 
cient. I  accordingly  took  my  final  leave  of  Majorca  ear- 
ly in  December,  just  as  summer  was  reaching  its  height, 
and  after  spending  three  more  pleasant  weeks  with  my 
hospitable  and  kind  friends  in  Melbourne,  took  my  pas- 
sage in  the  steamer  for  Sydney,  and  set  sail  the  day  aft- 
er Christmas. 

On  looking  over  what  I  have  above  written  about  my 
life  in  Victoria,  I  feel  how  utterly  inadequate  it  is  to 
give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  country  as  a  whole.  All 
that  I  have  done  has  merely  been  to  write  down  my  first 
impressions,  unpremeditatedly  and  faithfully,  of  what  I 
saw,  and  what  I  felt  and  did  while  there.  Such  a  short 
residence  in  the  colony,  and  such  a  limited  experience 
as  mine  was,  could  not  have  enabled  me  —  no  matter 
what  my  faculty  of  observation,  which  is  but  moderate 
—to  convey  any  adequate  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
colony  or  its  resources.  To  pretend  to  write  an  account 
of  Victoria  and  Victorian  life  from  the  little  I  saw  were 
as  absurd  as  it  would  be  for  a  native-born  Victorian, 
sixteen  years  old,  to  come  over  to  England,  live  two 


184  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

years  in  a  small  country  town,  and  then  write  a  book  of 
his  travels  headed  "  England."  And  yet  this  is  the  way 
in  which  the  Yictorians  complain,  and  with  justice,  that 
they  are  treated  by  English  writers.  Some  eminent  man 
arrives  in  the  colony,  spends  a  few  weeks  in  it,  perhaps 
rushes  through  it  by  railway,  and  hastens  home  to  pub- 
lish some  contemptuous  account  of  the  people  whom  he 
does  not  really  know,  or  some  hasty,  if  not  fallacious, 
description  of  the  country  which  he  has  not  really  seen. 
I  am  sure  that,  however  crude  my  description  may  be, 
Victorians  will  not  be  offended  with  what  I  have  said 
of  themselves  and  their  noble  colony ;  for,  small  though 
the  sphere  of  nay  observation  was,  they  will  see  that  I 
have  written  merely  to  the  extent  of  my  knowledge,  and 
have  related,  as  faithfully  as  I  was  able,  the  circumstan- 
ces that  came  within  the  range  of  my  own  admittedly 
limited,  but  actual  experience  of  colonial  life. 


ROUND  TO  SYDNEY. 


185 


S^IXNEY,  TOBT  JACKSON. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

BOUND     TO      SYDNEY. 

Last  Christmas  in  Australia. — Start  by  Steamer  for  Sydney. — 'The  "Great 
Britain." — Cheap  Trips  to  Queenscliffe.  —  Hough  Weather  at  Sea. — 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  Mathews. — Botany  Bay. — Outer  South  Head. — Port 
Jackson. — Sydney  Cove.— Description  of  Sydney. — Government  House 
and  Domain. — Great  future  Empire  of  the  South. 

I  SPENT  my  last  Australian  Christmas  with  my  kind  en- 
tertainers in  Melbourne.  Christmas  scarcely  looks  like 
Christmas  with  the  thermometer  at  90°  in  the  shade; 
but  there  is  the  same  roast  beef  and  plum-pudding  nev- 
ertheless, reminding  one  of  home.  The  immense  gar- 
nishing of  strawberries,  however,  now  in  season — though 


186  RO  UND  THE  WORLD. 

extremely  agreeable — reminds  us  that  Christmas  at  the 
Antipodes  must  necessarily  differ  in  many  respects  from 
Christinas  in  England. 

The  morning  after  Christmas  Day  saw  me  on  board 
the  steamer  "  Raugatira,"  advertised  to  start  for  Sydney 
at  eleven.  Casting  off  from  our  moorings  at  the  Sand- 
ridge  pier,  the  ship  got  gradually  under  weigh;  and, 
waving  my  last  adieu  to  friends  on  shore,  I  was  again 
at  sea. 

"We  steamed  close  alongside  the  "  Great  Britain,"  which 
has  for  some  time  been  the  crack  ship  between  Australia 
and  England.  She  had  just  arrived  from  Liverpool  with 
a  great  freight  of  goods  and  passengers,  and  was  lying 
at  her  moorings — a  splendid  ship.  As  we  steamed  out 
into  Hobson's  Bay,  Melbourne  rose  up  across  the  flats, 
and  loomed  large  in  the  distance.  All  the  summits 
seemed  covered  with  houses — the  towers  of  the  fine  Ro- 
man Catholic  Cathedral,  standing  on  the  top  of  a  hill  to 
the  right,  being  the  last  building  to  be  seen  distinctly 
from  the  Bay. 

In  about  two  hours  we  were  at  Queenscliffe,  inside 
the  Heads — at  present  the  fashionable  watering-place  of 
Melbourne.  Several  excursion  steamers  had  preceded 
us,  taking  down  great  numbers  of  passengers,  to  enjoy 
Boxing-day  by  the  sea-side.  The  place  looked  very  pret- 
ty indeed  from  our  ship's  deck.  Some  of  the  passen- 
gers, who  had  taken  places  for  Sydney,  were  landed  here, 
fearing  lest  the  sea  should  be  found  too  rough  outside 
the  Heads. 

There  had  been  very  little  wind  when  we  left  Sand- 
ridge,  and  the  waters  of  Port  Phillip  were  comparatively 
smooth ;  but  as  we  proceeded  the  wind  began  to  rise, 


ROUND  TO  SYDNEY.  jgy 

and  our  weatlierwise  friends  feared  lest  they  should  have 
to  encounter  a  gale  outside.  We  were  now  in  sight  of 
the  white  line  of  breakers  running  across  the  Heads. 
There  was  still  a  short  distance  of  smooth  water  before 
us,  but  that  was  soon  passed,  and  then  our  ship  dashed 
her  prow  into  the  waves,  and  had  to  fight  her  way  as  for 
very  life  against  the  heavy  sea  that  rolled  in  through 
Bass's  Straits  from  the  South  Pacific. 

The  only  distinguished  passengers  on  board  are  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Charles  Mathews,  who  have  been  "  starring"  it 
in  Victoria  to  some  purpose.  A  few  nights  ago  Mr. 
Mathews  took  his  leave  in  a  characteristic  speech,  partly 
humorous  and  partly  serious;  but  the  enthusiastic  au- 
dience laughed  and  cheered  him  all  the  way  through; 
and  it  was  rather  comic  to  read  the  newspaper  report  of 
next  morning,  and  to  find  that  the  actor's  passages  of  the 
softest  pathos  had  been  received  with  "  roars  of  laughter." 

Mr.  Mathews  seems  to  be  one  of  the  most  perennially 
juvenile  of  men.  When  he  came  on  board  at  Sandridge 
he  looked  as  frisky  and  larky  as  a  boy.  He  skipped  up 
and  down  the  deck,  and  took  an  interest  in  every  thing. 
This  lasted  so  long  as  the  water  was  smooth.  When  he 
came  in  sight  of  the  broken  water  at  the  Heads,  I  fancy 
his  spirit  barometer  went  down  a  little ;  but  when  the 
ship  began  to  put  her  nose  into  the  waves  freely,  a  total 
change  seemed  to  pass  over  him.  I  very  soon  saw  his 
retreating  skirts.  For  the  next  three  days — three  long, 
rough,  wave-tossing  days — very  little  was  seen  of  him ; 
and  when  he  at  length  did  make  his  appearance  on  deck, 
alas!  he  seemed  no  longer  the  brisk  and  juvenile  pas- 
senger that  had  come  on  board  at  Sandridge  only  a  few 
days  before. 


188  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

Indeed,  it  was  a  very  rough  and  "  dirty"  passage.  The 
passengers  were  mostly  prostrate  during  the  whole  of  the 
voyage.  The  sea  was  rolling  in  from  the  east  in  great 
billows,  which  our  little  boat  breasted  gallantly ;  but  it 
was  tossed  about  like  a  cork,  inclining  at  all  sorts  of  an- 
gles by  turns.  It  was  not  much  that  I  could  see  of  the 
coast,  though  at  some  places  it  is  bold,  at  others  beauti- 
ful. We  passed  very  near  to  it  at  Ram  Head  and  Cape 
Howe — a  grand  promontory  forming  the  southwest  point 
of  Australia. 

On  the  third  day  from  Melbourne,  about  daybreak,  I 
found  we  were  steaming  close  along  shore,  under  dark 
brown  cliffs,  not  very  high,  topped  with  verdure.  The 
wind  had  gone  down,  but  the  boat  was  pitching  in  the 
heavy  sea  as  much  as  ever.  The  waves  were  breaking 
with  fury  and  noise  along  the  beach  under  the  cliffs.  At 
9  A.M.  we  passed  Botany  Bay  —  the  first  part  of  New 
South  Wales  sighted  by  Captain  Cook  just  a  hundred 
years  ago.  It  was  here  that  he  first  landed,  and  erected 
a  mound  of  stones  and  a  flag  to  commemorate  the  event.* 
Banks  and  Solander,  who  were  with  him,  found  the  land 
covered  with  new  and  beautiful  flowers,  and  hence  the 
name  which  was  given  it  of  "  Botany  Bay" — afterward 
a  name  of  terror,  associated  only  with  crime  and  convict 
life. 

We  steamed  across  the  entrance  to  the  Bay  until  we 

*  The  Hon.  Thomas  Holt,  on  whose  property  the  landing-place  is  situ- 
ated, last  year  erected  an  obelisk  on  the  spot,  with  the  inscription  "  Cap- 
tain Cook  landed  here  28th  April,  A.D.  1770,"  with  the  following  extract 
from  Captain  Cook's  Journal:  "At  daybreak  we  discovered  a  bay,  and 
anchored  under  the  south  shore,  about  two  miles  within  the  entrance,  in 
six  fathom  water,  the  south  point  bearing  S.E.,  and  the  north  point  east. 
Latitude  34°  S.s  Longitude  208°  37' W. 


ROUND  TO  SYDNEY.  189 

were  close  under  the  cliffs  of  the  outer  South  Head, 
guarding  the  entrance  to  Port  Jackson.  The  white  Mac- 
quarie  light-house  on  the  summit  of  the  Head  is  seen 
plainly  at  a  great  distance.  Steaming  on,  we  were  soon 
under  the  inner  South  Head,  and  at  the  entrance  to  the 
famous  harbor,  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  world. 

The  opening  into  Port  Jackson  is  comparatively  nar- 
row ;  so  much  so,  that  when  Captain  Cook  first  sailed 
past  it,  he  considered  it  to  be  merely  a  boat  entrance,  and 
did  not  examine  it.  "While  he  was  at  breakfast,  the  look- 
out man  at  the  mast-head — a  man  named  Jackson — re- 
ported that  he  saw  the  entrance  to  what  seemed  a  good 
anchorage ;  and  so  the  captain,  half  in  derision,  named 
it  "  Port  Jackson."  The  Heads  seemed  to  me  only  about 
four  hundred  feet  apart  from  each  other,  the  north  head 
somewhat  overlapping  the  south.  The  rocks  appear  to 
have  broken  off  abruptly,  and  stand  up  perpendicularly 
over  against  each  other,  about  three  hundred  feet  high, 
leaving  a  chasm  or  passage  between  them  which  forms 
the  entrance  to  Port  Jackson.  When  the  Pacific  rolls 
in  full  force  against  the  Heads,  the  waves  break  with 
great  violence  on  the  cliffs,  and  the  spray  is  flung  right 
over  the  light-house  on  the  South  Head.  Now  that  the 
sea  has  gone  somewhat  down,  the  waves  are  not  so  furi- 
ous, and  yet  the  dash  of  the  spray  half  way  up  the  per- 
pendicular cliffs  is  a  grand  sight. 

Once  inside  the  Heads,  the  water  becomes  almost  per- 
fectly calm ;  the  scenery  suddenly  changes ;  the  cliffs 
subside  into  a  prettily  wooded  country,  undulating  and 
sloping  gently  to  the  water's  edge.  Immediately  within 
the  entrance,  on  the  south  side,  is  a  pretty  little  village. — 
the  pilot  station  in  Watson's  Bay.  After  a  few  minutes' 


190  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

more  steaming  the  ship  rounds  a  corner,  the  open  sea  is 
quite  shut  out  from  view,  and  neither  Heads  nor  pilot 
station  are  to  be  seen. 

My  attention  is  next  drawn  to  a  charming  view  on  the 
north  shore — a  delicious  little  inlet,  beautifully  wooded, 
and  surrounded  by  a  background  of  hills,  rising  gradu- 
ally to  their  greatest  height  behind  the  centre  of  the  lit- 
tle bay.  There,  right  in  among  the  bright  green  trees  I 
observe  a  gem  of  a  house,  with  a  broad  terrace  in  front, 
and  steps  leading  down  to  the  clear  blue  water.  A  few 
minutes  more,  and  we  have  lost  sight  of  the  charming 
nook,  having  rounded  the  headland  of  the  inlet — a  rocky 
promontory  covered  with  ferns  and  mosses. 

But  our  attention  is  soon  absorbed  by  other  beauties  of 
the  scene.  Before  us  lies  a  lovely  island  prettily  wood- 
ed, with  some  three  or  four  fine  mansions  and  their  green 
lawns  sloping  down  to  the  water's  edge,  while  on  the  left 
the  hills  are  constantly  varying  in  aspect  as  we  steam 
along.  At  length,  some  seven  miles  up  Port  Jackson, 
the  spires,  and  towers,  and  buildings  of  Sydney  come 
into  sight ;  at  first  Wooloomooloo,  and  then,  in  ten  min- 
utes more,  on  rounding  another  point,  we  find  ourselves 
in  Sydney  Cove,  alongside  the  wharf.  Here  we  are  in 
the  midst  of  an  amphitheatre  of  beauty — a  wooded  isl- 
and opposite  covered  with  villas  and  cottages,  with  head- 
lands, coves,  and  bays,  and  beautiful  undulations  of  love- 
ly country  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Altogether,  I 
think  Port  Jackson  is  one  of  the  most  charming  pieces 
of  water  and  landscape  that  I  have  ever  seen. 

After  our  three  days'  tossing  at  sea,  I  was,  however, 
glad  to  be  on  shore  again ;  so,  having  seen  my  boxes 
safely  deposited  in  the  Calif orni an  baggage  depot,  I  pro- 


ROUND  TO  SYDNEY.  191 

ceeded  into  the  town  and  secured  apartments  for  the  few 
days  I  was  to  remain  in  Sydney. 

From  what  I  have  already  said  of  the  approach  to  the 
landing,  it  will  be  inferred  that  the  natural  situation  of 
Sydney  is  very  fine.  It  stands  upon  a  ridge  of  sandstone 
rock,  which  runs  down  into  the  bay  in  numerous  ridges 
or  spines  of  land  or  rock,  between  which  lie  the  natural 
harbors  of  the  place,  and  these  are  so  deep  that  vessels  of 
almost  any  burden  may  load  and  unload  at  the  project- 
ing wharves.  Thus  Sydney  possesses  a  very  large  extent 
of  deep-water  frontage,  and  its  wharfage  and  warehouse 
accommodation  is  capable  of  enlargement  to  almost  any 
extent.  Of  the  natural  harbors  formed  by  the  project- 
ing spines  of  rock  into  the  deep  water,  the  most  impor- 
tant are  Wooloomooloo  Bay,  Farm  Cove,  Sydney  Cove, 
and  Darling  Harbor. 

From  the  water-side,  the  houses,  ranged  in  streets,  rise 
like  so  many  terraces  up  to  the  crown  of  the  ridges,  the 
main  streets  occupying  the  crests  and  flanks  of  two  or 
three  of  the  highest.  One  of  these,  George  Street,  is  a 
remarkably  fine  street,  about  two  miles  long,  containing 
many  handsome  buildings. 

My  first  knowledge  of  Sydney  was  acquired  in  a  stroll 
up  George  Street.  We  noticed  the  original  old  market- 
place, bearing  the  date  of  1793  ;  a  quaint  building,  with 
queer  old-fashioned  domes,  all  shingle-roofed.  A  little 
farther  on  we  came  to  a  large  building  in  course  of 
erection — the  new  Town  Hall,  built  of  a  yellowish  sort 
of  stone.  Near  it  is  the  English  Cathedral,  a  large  and 
elegant  structure.  Farther  on  is  the  new  Roman  Catho- 
lic Cathedral,  the  original  Cathedral  in  Hyde  Park  hav- 
ing been  burnt  down  some  time  ago. 


192  30  UND  THE  WORLD. 

Altogether,  Sydney  has  a  much  older  look  than  Mel- 
bourne. It  has  grown  up  at  longer  intervals,  and  does 
not  look  so  spic-and-span  new.  The  streets  are  much 
narrower  and  more  irregular — older-fashioned,  and  more 
English  in  appearance  —  occasioned,  doubtless,  by  its 
slower  growth  and  its  more  hilly  situation.  But  it  would 
also  appear  as  if  there  were  not  the  same  go-ahead  spirit 
in  Sydney  that  so  pre-eminently  characterizes  her  sister 
city.  Instead  of  the  splendidly  broad,  well-paved,  and 
well-watered  streets  of  Melbourne,  here  they  are  narrow, 
ill  paved,  and  dirty.  Such  a  thing  as  the  miserable 
wooden  hut  which  serves  for  a  post-office  would  not  be 
allowed  to  exist  for  a  day  at  Melbourne.  It  is  the  orig- 
inal office,  and  has  never  been  altered  or  improved  since 
it  was  first  put  up.  I  must,  however,  acknowledge  that 
a  new  post-office  is  in  course  of  erection ;  but  it  shows 
the  want  of  public  spirit  in  the  place  that  the  old  shanty 
should  have  been  allowed  to  stand  so  long. 

The  railway  terminus  at  the  end  of  George  Street  is 
equally  discreditable.  It  is,  without  exception,  the  shab- 
biest, dirtiest  shed  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  seen.  They 
certainly  need  a  little  of  the  Victorian  spirit  in  Sydney. 
The  Melbourne  people,  with  such  a  site  for  a  city,  would 
soon  have  made-  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  in 
the  world.  As  it  is,  nothing  can  surpass  its  superb  situa- 
tion, the  view  over  the  harbor  from  some  of  the  higher 
streets  being  unequaled — the  numerous  ships  lying  still, 
as  if  asleep  on  the  calm  waters  of  the  bay  beneath,  while 
the  rocky  promontories  all  round  it,  clothed  with  verdure, 
are  dotted  with  the  villas  and  country  mansions  of  the 
Sydney  merchants. 

One  of  the  busiest  parts  of  Sydney  is  down  by  the 


ROUND  TO  SYDNEY.  193 

quays,  where  a  great  deal  of  shipping  business  is  carried 
on.  There  are  dry  docks,  patent  slips,  and  one  floating 
dock ;  though  floating  docks  are  of  minor  importance 
here,  where  the  depth  of  water  along  shore  is  so  great, 
and  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  is  so  small.  Indeed, 
Sydney  Harbor  may  be  regarded  as  one  immense  float- 
ing dock.  The  Australasian  Steam  Navigation  Compa- 
ny have  large  ship-building  and  repairing  premises  at 
Pyrmont,  which  give  employment  to  a  large  number  of 
hands.  Certainly  the  commanding  position  of  Sydney, 
and  the  fact  of  its  being  the  chief  port  of  a  great  agri- 
cultural and  pastoral  country  in  the  interior,  hold  out  the 
promise  of  great  prosperity  for  it  in  the  future. 

Every  visitor  to  Sydney  of  course  makes  a  point  of 
seeing  the  Government  House  and  the  Domain,  for  it  is 
one  of  the  principal  sights  of  the  place.  The  govern- 
ment buildings  and  park  occupy  the  double-headed  prom- 
ontory situated  between  Wooloomooloo  Bay  and  Sydney 
Cove.  The  Government  House  is  a  handsome  and  spa- 
cious castellated  building,  in  every  way  worthy  of  the 
colony,  the  views  from  some  parts  of  the  grounds  being 
of  almost  unparalleled  beauty.  There  are  nearly  four 
miles  of  drives  in  the  park,  through  alternate  cleared  ?nd 
wooded  grounds,  sometimes  opening  upon  cheerful  views 
of  the  splendid  harbor,  then  skirting  the  rocky  shores,  or 
retreating  inland  amid  shadowy  groves  and  grassy  dells. 
The  grounds  are  open  to  the  public,  and  the  entrances 
being  close  upon  the  town  and  suburbs,  this  public  park 
of  Sydney  is  one  that  for  convenience  and  beauty  per- 
haps no  capital  in  the  world  surpasses. 

The  Botanical  Gardens  are  situated  in  what  is  called 
the  outer  Domain.  We  enter  the  grounds  under  a  long 

I 


194  HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

avenue  of  acacias  and  sycamores,  growing  so  close  to- 
gether as  to  afford  a  complete  shade  from  the  noonday 
heat.  At  the  end  of  the  avenue  we  came  upon  a  splen- 
did specimen  of  the  Norfolk  Island  pine,  said  to  be  the 
largest  and  finest  tree  out  of  the  island  itself.  After 
resting  for  a  time  under  its  delicious  shade,  we  strolled 
on  through  other  paths  overhung  with  all  sorts  of  flow- 
ering plants.  Then,  passing  through  an  opening  in  the 
wall,  a  glorious  prospect  of  the  bay  suddenly  spread  out 
before  us.  The  turf  was  green  down  to  the  water's  edge, 
and  interspersed  with  nicely-kept  flower-beds,  with  here 
and  there  a  pretty  clump  of  trees. 

Down  by  the  water-side  is  a  broad  esplanade — the 
most  charming  of  promenades — running  all  round  the 
beautiful  little  bay  which  it  incloses.  Tropical  and  Euro- 
pean shrubs  grow  in  profusion  on  all  sides,  an  English 
rose-tree  in  full  bloom  growing  alongside  a  bamboo, 
while  at  another  place  a  banana  throws  its  shade  over  a 
blooming  bunch  of  sweet  pea,  and  a  bell-flowered  plant 
overhangs  a  Michaelmas  daisy.  A  fine  view  of  the  har- 
bor and  shipping  is  obtained  from  a  part  of  the  grounds 
where  Lady  Macquarie's  chair — a  hollow  place  in  a  rock 
— is  situated — itself  worth  coming  a  long  way  to  see. 
Turning  up  the  gardens  again  we  come  upon  a  monkey- 
house,  an  aviary,  and — what  interested  me  more  than  all 
— an  inclosed  lawn  in  which  were  numerous  specimens 
of  the  kangaroo  tribe,  from  the  "  old  boomer"  standing 
six  feet  high,  down  to  the  rock  kangaroo  not  much  big- 
ger than  a  hare.  We  hung  about,  watching  the  antics 
of  the  monkeys  and  the  leapings  of  the  kangaroos  until 
it  was  time  to  take  our  departure. 

The  country  inland,  lying  to  the  south  of  Sydney,  is 


ROUND  TO  SYDNEY.  195 

by  no  means  picturesque.  Much  of  it  consists  of  sandy 
scrub,  and  it  is  by  no  means  fertile  except  in  the  valleys. 
But  nothing  can  surpass  the  beauty  of  the  shores  of  the 
bay  as  far  up  as  Paramatta,  about  twenty  miles  inland. 
The  richest  land  of  the  colony  lies  well  into  the  interior, 
but  the  time  at  my  disposal  was  too  short  to  enable  me 
to  do  more  than  visit  the  capital,  with  which  the  passing 
stranger  can  not  fail  to  be  greatly  pleased. 

Altogether,  it  seems  a  wonderful  thing  that  so  much 
should  have  been  done  within  so  short  a  time  toward 
opening  up  the  resources  of  this  great  country ;  and  most 
wonderful  of  all,  that  the  people  of  a  small  island  like 
Britain,  situated  at  the  very  opposite  side  of  the  globe, 
some  sixteen  thousand  miles  off,  should  have  come  hither, 
and  within  so  short  a  time  have  built  up  such  cities  as 
Sydney  and  Melbourne — planted  so  large  an  extent  of 
territory  with  towns,  and  villages,  and  farmsteads — cov- 
ered its  pastures  with  cattle  and  sheep — opened  up  its 
mines — provided  it  with  roads,  railroads,  and  telegraphs, 
and  thereby  laid  the  firm  foundations  of  a  great  future 
empire  in  the  south.  Surely  these  are  things  of  which 
England,  amid  all  her  grumblings,  has  some  reason  to  be 
proud ! 


196 


ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


ATOKLAXI),  NEW   ZEALAND. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TO  AUCKLAND,  IN  NEW  ZEALAND. 

Leaving  Sydney. — Anchor  within  the  Heads. — Take  in  Mails  and  Pas- 
sengers from  the  "  City  of  Adelaide." — Out  to  Sea  again. — Sight  New 
Zealand.— Entrance  to  Auckland  Harbor.— The  "  Galatea.  "—Descrip- 
tion of  Auckland. — Founding  of  Auckland  due  to  a  Job. — Maori  Men 
and  Women. — Drive  to  Onehunga. — Splendid  View. — Auckland  Gala. 
— New  Zealand  Delays. — Leave  for  Honolulu. 

ON  the  last  day  of  December,  1870, 1  set  out  for  Hon- 
olulu, in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  embarking  as  second- 
class  passenger  on  board  the  "  City  of  Melbourne."  Our 
first  destination  was  Auckland,  in  New  Zealand,  where 
we  were  to  stop  for  a  few  days  to  take  in  passengers  and 
mails. 


TO  A  UCKLAND,  IN  NEW  ZEALAND.  j  9  7 

I  had  been  so  fortunate  as  accidentally  to  encounter  a 
friend,  whom  I  knew  in  Maryborough,  in  the  streets  of 
Sydney.  He  was  out  upon  his  summer  holiday,  and 
when  he  understood  that  I  was  bound  for  New  Zealand 
he  determined  to  accompany  me,  and  I  had,  therefore, 
the  pleasure  of  liis  society  during  the  earlier  part  of  my 
voyage. 

As  we  steamed  down  the  harbor  I  had  another  oppor- 
tunity of  admiring  the  beautiful  little  bays,  and  sandy 
coves,  and  wooded  islets  of  Port  Jackson.  The  city, 
with  its  shipping,  and  towers,  and  spires,  gradually  re- 
ceded in  the  distance,  and  as  we  rounded  a  headland 
Sydney  was  finally  shut  out  from  farther  view. 

"We  were  soon  close  to  the  abrupt  headlands  which 
guard  the  entrance  to  the  bay,  and  letting  drop  our  an- 
chor just  inside  the  southern  head,  we  lay  safely  shelter- 
ed from  the  gale  which  began  to  blow  from  the  east. 
There  we  waited  the  arrival  of  the  "  City  of  Adelaide" 
round  from  Melbourne  with  the  last  mails  and  passen- 
gers for  England  by  the  California  route. 

But  it  was  some  time  before  the  "  Adelaide"  made  her 
appearance.  Early  next  morning,  hearing  that  she  was 
alongside,  I  hurried  on  deck.  The  mails  were  speedily 
brought  off  from  the  inward-bound  ship,  together  with 
seven  more  passengers.  Our  anchor  was  at  once  weigh- 
ed, and  in  ten  more  minutes  we  are  off.  We  are  soon  at 
the  entrance  to  the  Heads ;  and  I  see  by  the  scud  of  the 
clouds,  and  the  long  line  of  foaming  breakers  driving 
across  the  entrance,  that  before  long  we  shall  have  the 
spray  ^flying  over  our  hurricane  deck.  Another  minute 
and  we  are  outside,  plunging  into  the  waves,  and  throw- 
ing the  water  in  foam  from  our  bows. 


198  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

I  remain  upon  deck,  holding  on  as  long  as  I  can. 
Turning  back,  I  see  a  fine  little  schooner  coming  out  of 
the  Heads  behind  us,  under  a  good  press  of  sail.  On 
she  came,  dipping  her  bows  right  under  the  water,  but 
buoyant  as  a  cork.  Her  men  were  aloft  reefing  a  sail, 
her  yards  seeming  almost  to  touch  the  water  as  she  lean- 
ed over  to  leeward.  Passing  under  our  stern,  she  changed 
her  course,  and  the  plucky  little  schooner  held  up  along 
the  coast,  making  for  one  of  the  northern  ports. 

Taking  a  last  look  at  the  Sydney  Heads,  I  left  the 
farther  navigation  of  the  ship  in  the  hands  of  the  cap- 
tain, and  retired  below.  I  was  too  much  occupied  by 
private  affairs  to  see  much  more  of  the  sea  during  the 
next  twenty-four  hours.  New  Year's  Day  though  it  was, 
there  was  very  little  jollity  on  board ;  indeed,  as  regard- 
ed the  greater  number  of  the  passengers,  it  was  spent 
rather  sadly. 

The  weather,  however,  gradually  moderated,  until,  on 
the  third  day  of  our  voyage,  the  weather  became  fine, 
such  wind  as  there  was  being  well  aft.  On  the  fifth  day 
the  wind  had  gone  quite  down,  and  there  only  remained 
the  long  low  roll  of  the  Pacific ;  but  the  ship  rolled  so 
heavily  that  I  suspect  there  must  have  been  a  very  strong 
under-current  somewhere  about.  Early  in  the  forenoon 
we  sighted  the  "  Three  Kings'  Islands,"  off  the  extreme 
north  coast  of  New  Zealand.  At  first  they  seemed  to 
consist  of  three  detached  rocks ;  but,  as  we  neared  them, 
they  were  seen  to  be  a  number  of  small  rocky  islands, 
with  very  little  vegetation  on  them.  The  main  land 
shortly  came  in  sight,  though  it  was  still  too  distant  to 
enable  us  to  recognize  its  features. 

Early  next  morning  we  found  ourselves  steaming  close 


TO  A  UCKLAND,  IN  NEW  ZEALAND.         \  99 

in  shore  past  Cape  Brett,  near  the  entrance  to  the  Bay  of 
Islands.  The  high  cliffs  along  the  coast  are  bold  and 
grand ;  here  and  there  a  waterfall  is  seen,  and  occasion- 
ally an  opening  valley,  showing  the  green  woods  beyond. 
In  the  distance  are  numerous  conical  hills,  showing  the 
originally  volcanic  character  of  the  country.  During 
the  forenoon  we  passed  a  huge  rock  that  in  the  distance 
had  the  appearance  of  being  a  large  ship  in  full  sail; 
hence  its  name  of  the  "  Sail  Rock." 

The  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Auckland,  though  by 
no  means  equal  to  Port  Jackson,  is  yet  highly  pictu- 
resque. On  one  side  is  the  City  of  Auckland,  lying  in  a 
hollow,  and  extending  up  the  steep  hills  on  either  side ; 
while  opposite  to  it,  on  the  north  shore  of  the  Frith  of 
Thames,  is  a  large  round  hill,  used  as  a  pilot  signal  sta- 
tion. Situated  underneath  it  are  many  nice  little  villas, 
with  gardens  close  to  the  sea.  The  view  extends  up  the 
inlet,  which  widens  out  and  terminates  in  a  background 
of  high  blue  mountains.  From  Auckland,  as  from  Syd- 
ney, the  open  sea  is  not  to  be  seen,  there  are  so  many 
windings  in  and  out  before  the  harbor  is  reached. 

A  fine  queen's  ship  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  bay, 
which,  on  inquiry,  we  found  to  be  the  "  Galatea,"  com- 
manded by  the  Duke  of  Edinburg.  The  "  Clio"  also 
was  anchored  not  far  off.  We  were  soon  alongside  the 
long  wooden  pier,  to  which  were  also  moored  several  fine 
clipper  ships,  and  made  our  way  into  the  town.  As  the 
principal  street  continues  straight  in  from  the  pier,  we 
were  shortly  enabled  to  see  all  the  principal  buildings  of 
the  place. 

Though  a  small  shipping  town,  there  seems  to  be  a 
considerable  amount  of  business  doing  at  Auckland. 


200  ROUND  THE  WORLD, 

There  is  a  good  market-place,  some  creditable  bank 
buildings,  and  some  three  or  four  fine  shops,  but  the 
streets  are  dirty  and  ill  paved.  The  Supreme  Court  and 
the  Post-office — both  fine  buildings — lie  off  the  principal 
street.  The  governor's  house,  which  occupies  a  hill  to 
the  right,  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  bay,  as  well  as  of 
the  lovely  green  valley  behind  it. 

Auckland,  like  Sydney,  being  for  the  most  part  built 
upon  high  land,  is  divided  by  ravines,  which  open  out  to- 
ward the  sea  in  little  coves  or  bays,  such  as  Mechanics' 
Bay,  Commercial  Bay,  and  Official  Bay.  The  buildings 
in  Mechanics'  Bay,  as  the  name  imports,  are  principally 
devoted  to  ship-building,  boat-building,  and  rope-making. 
The  shore  of  Commercial  Bay  is  occupied  by  the  store 
and  shop-keeping  people,  while  Official  Bay  is  surround- 
ed by  the  principal  official  buildings,  the  government 
store-houses,  and  such  like. 

I  have  been  told  here  that  Auckland  is  completely  out 
of  place  as  the  capital  of  the  colony,  being  situated  at 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  island,  far  away  from  the  prin- 
cipal seats  of  population,  which  are  in  Cook's  Straits, 
and  even  farther  south.  The  story  is  current  that  Auck- 
land is  due  to  an  early  job  of  government  officials,  who 
combined  to  buy  up  the  land  about  it,  and  when  it  had 
been  fixed  upon  as  the  site  of  the  capital,  sold  out  their 
lots  at  fabulous  prices,  to  the  feathering  of  their  own 
nests. 

A  great  many  natives,  or  Maoris,  are  hanging  about 
the  town.  It  seems  that  they  are  here  in  greater  num- 
bers than  usual,  their  votes  being  wanted  for  the  passing 
or  confirmation  of  some  land  measure.  Groups  of  them 
stand  about  the  streets  talking  and  gesticulating ;  a  still 


TO  A  UCKLAND,  IN  NE  W  ZEALAND.        201 

greater  number  are  hanging  round  the  public  houses, 
which  they  enter  from  time  to  time  to  have  a  drink.  I 
can  not  say  I  like  the  look  of  the  men ;  they  look  very 
ugly  customers  indeed  —  beetle-browed  and  down-look- 
ing, "  with  foreheads  villainous  low."  Their  appearance 
is  all  the  more  revolting  by  reason  of  the  large  blue  cir- 
cles of  tattoo  on  their  faces.  Indeed,  when  the  New 
Zealander  is  fully  tattooed,  which  is  the  case  with  the 
old  aristocrats,  there  is  very  little  of  his  original  face 
visible,  excepting  perhaps  his  nose  and  his  bright  black 
eyes. 

Most  of  the  men  were  dressed  in  the  European  cos- 
tume, though  some  few  were  in  their  native  blankets, 
which  they  wear  with  grace  and  even  dignity.  The 
men  were  of  fine  physique — tall,  strong,  and  well  made 
— and,  looking  at  their  keen  fierce  eyes,  I  do  not  won- 
der that  they  have  given  our  soldiers  so  much  trouble. 
I  could  not  help  thinking,  as  I  saw  them  hanging  about 
the  drinking-shops,  some  half  drunk,  that  English  drink 
will  in  the  long  run  prove  their  conquerors  far  more 
than  English  rifles. 

There  were  many  Maori  women  mingled  with  the 
men.  Some  of  them  were  good  looking.  Their  skin  is 
of  a  clear  dark  olive ;  their  eyes  dark  brown  or  black ; 
their  noses  small,  and  their  mouths  large.  But  nearly 
all  of  them  have  a  horrid  blue  tattoo  mark  on  their  lips, 
that  serves  to  give  them — at  least  to  European  eyes — a 
repulsive  look. 

Many  of  the  women,  as  well  as  the  men,  wear  a  piece 
of  native  greenstone  hanging  from  their  ears,  to  which 
is  attached  a  long  piece  of  black  ribbon.  This  stone  is 
supposed  by  the  Maoris  to  possess  some  magical  virtue. 

12 


202  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

Others  of  them  —  men  as  well  as  girls  —  have  sharks' 
teeth  hanging  from  their  ears  and  dangling  about  their 
faces,  the  upper  part  of  the  teeth  being  covered  with 
bright  red  wax. 

Mixed  with  the  Maoris  were  the  sailors  of  the  "  Gala- 
tea," rolling  about  the  streets,  and,  like  them,  frequent 
customers  of  the  public  houses.  In  fact,  the  sailors  and 
the  Maoris  seemed  to  form  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  population  of  the  place. 

The  landlord  of  the  hotel  at  which  we  staid  —  the 
"  Waitemata" — having  recommended  us  to  take  a  drive 
into  the  interior,  we  set  out  at  midday  by  stage-coach 
for  Onehunga.  Auckland  being  situated  at  the  narrow- 
est part  of  the  North  Island,  Onehunga,  which  is  on  the 
west  coast,  is  only  seven  miles  distant  by  land,  though 
five  hundred  by  water. 

The  coach  started  at  noon,  and  it  was  hard  work  for 
the  four  horses  to  drag  the  vehicle  up  the  long  steep  hill 
at  the  back  of  the  town.  Nice  country  houses  stood  on 
both  sides  of  the  road,  amid  fresh  green  gardens,  the 
houses  almost  buried  in  foliage. 

From  the  high  ground  a  magnificent  landscape  stretch- 
ed before  us.  It  reminded  me  very  much  of  a  particu- 
lar view  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  though  this  was  even 
more  grand  and  extensive.  The  open  sea  was  at  such  a 
distance,  and  so  shut  out  by  intervening  high  land,  that 
it  was  scarcely  visible.  The  lovely  frith  or  bay,  with  its 
numerous  inlets,  islands,  and  surrounding  bright  green 
hills,  lay  at  our  feet.  The  blue  water  wound  in  and  out 
among  the  hills  on  our  right  for  a  distance  of  about  fif- 
teen miles.  There  was  a  large  open  stretch  of  water, 
surrounded  by  high  mountains,  toward  the  west.  Right 


TO  A  UCKLAND,  IN  NEW  ZEALAND.  203 

before  us  was  the  entrance  to  the  bay,  with  the  pilot- 
station  hill  on  one  side  and  Mount  Victoria  on  the  oth- 
er. Between  these  two  hills  high  land  stood  up  in  the 
distance,  so  that  the  whole  gave  one  the  impression  of  a 
beautiful  inland  lake  rather  than  of  a  sea  view.  It  was, 
without  exception,  the  most  magnificent  prospect  I  had 
ever  looked  upon ;  yet  they  tell  me  this  is  surpassed  by 
the  scenery  in  other  parts  of  New  Zealand,  in  which  case 
it  must  indeed  be  an  exceedingly  picturesque  country. 

We  drove  along  through  a  pretty  green  country,  with 
fine  views  of  the  plains  toward  the  right,  bounded  by 
distant  blue  mountains.  In  about  another  quarter  of 
an  hour,  after  passing  through  the  village  of  Epsom,  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  sea  on  the  west  coast,  and.  were 
shortly  set  down  at  Onehunga,  on  the  shore  of  Manukau 
Bay.  Onehunga  is  a  small  township  containing  a  few 
store-houses,  besides  dwelling-houses,  with  a  hotel  or  two. 
The  view  here  was  also  fine,  but  not  so  interesting  as 
that  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island.  Plains,  bounded 
by  distant  mountains,  extended  along  the  coast  on  one 
side,  and  high  broken  cliffs  ran  along  the  shore  and 
bounded  the  sea  in  front  of  us.  After  an  hour's  rest  at 
Onehunga  we  returned  to  Auckland,  enjoying  the  drive 
back  very  much,  in  spite  of  the  inconveniently-crowded 
coach. 

There  was  a  sort  of  gala  in  Auckland  that  evening. 
A  promenade  concert  was  given  on  the  parade-ground  at 
the  barracks,  at  which  the  band  of  the  "  Galatea"  played 
to  the  company.  The  prince  himself,  it  was  announced, 
would  perform  on  the  occasion.  It  was  a  fine  moon- 
light night,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Auckland  turned  out 
in  force.  There  must  have  been  at  least  two  thousand 


204  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

well-dressed  people  promenading  about,  listening  to  the 
music.  The  prince's  elephant  was  there  too,  and  afford- 
ed a  good  deal  of  amusement.  How  the  poor  brute  was 
slung  out  of  the  "  Galatea,"  got  on  shore,  and  got  back 
on  shipboard  again,  was  to  me  a  mystery. 

I  went  down  to  the  steamer  at  the  appointed  time  of 
sailing,  but  found  that  the  "  City"  was  not  to  leave  for 
several  hours  after  time.  The  mail  express  was  to  wait 
until  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bandman — who  had  been  acting  in 
Auckland  —  had  received  some  presentation  from  the 
officers  of  the  "  Galatea !"  It  seemed  odd  that  a  mail 
steamer  should  be  delayed  some  hours  to  suit  the  con- 
venience of  a  party  of  actors.  But  there  are  strange 
doings  connected  with  this  mail  line.  Time  is  of  little 
moment  here,  and  in  New  Zealand  I  suspect  time  is  even 
less  valued  than  usual.  They  tell  me  that  few  mails 
leave  New  Zealand  without  having  to  wait  on  some  pre- 
text or  another.  There  does  not  seern  to  be  the  same 
activity,  energy,  and  business  aptitude  that  exists  in  the 
Australian  colonies.  The  Auckland  people  seem  lan- 
guid and  half  asleep.  Perhaps  their  soft,  relaxing,  win- 
terless  climate  has  something  to  do  with  it. 

Having  nothing  else  to  occupy  me  before  the  ship 
sailed,  I  took  leave  of  my  Australian  friend,  gave  him  my 
last  messages  for  Maryborough  and  Majorca,  and  went 
on  board.  I  was  wakened  up  about  midnight  by  the 
noise  of  the  anchor  coming  up,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
more  we  were  off  and  on  our  way  to  Honolulu,  up  the 
Pacific. 


UP  THE  PACIFIC.  205 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

UP    THE   PACIFIC. 

Departure  for  Honolulu. — Monotony  of  a  Voyage  by  Steam. — Desagre- 
mens. — The  "  Gentlemen"  Passengers. — The  one  Second-class  "Lady." 
— The  Rats  on  Board. — The  Smells. — Flying  Fish. — Cross  the  Line. — 
Treatment  of  Newspapers  on  Board. — Hawaii  in  Sight. — Arrival  at 
Honolulu. 

WHEN  I  went  on  deck  next  morning  we  had  left  New 
Zealand  far  behind  us ;  not  a  speck  of  land  was  to  be 
seen,  and  we  were  fairly  on  our  way  to  Honolulu.  "We 
have  before  us  a  clear  run  of  about  four  thousand  miles, 
and  if  our  machinery  and  coal  keep  good,  we  know  that 
we  shall  do  it  easily  in  about  seventeen  days. 

Strange  though  it  may  seem,  there  is  much  greater 
monotony  in  a  voyage  on  board  a  steamer  than  there  is 
on  board  a  sailing  vessel.  There  is  nothing  like  the 
same  interest  felt  in  the  progress  of  the  ship,  and  thus 
one  unfailing  topic  of  conversation  and  speculation  is 
shut  out.  There  are  no  baffling  winds,  no  sleeping  calms, 
alternating  with  a  joyous  and  invigorating  run  before 
the  wind,  such  as  we  had  when  coming  out,  from  Plym- 
outh to  the  Cape.  We  only  know  that  we  shall  do  our 
average  ten  miles  an  hour,  be  the  weather  what  it  may. 
If  the  wind  is  blowing  astern,  we  run  before  it ;  if  ahead, 
we  run  through  it.  Fair  or  foul,  it  matters  but  little. 

A  voyage  by  a  steamer,  compared  with  one  by  sailing 
ship,  is  what  a  journey  by  railway  train  is  to  a  drive  across 


206 


HOUND  THE  WORLD. 


country  in  a  well-horsed  stage-coach.  There  is,  however, 
this  to  be  said  in  favor  of  the  former.  We  know  that, 
monotonous  though  it  be,  it  is  very  much  sooner  over ; 
and  on  a  voyage  of  some  thousands  of  miles,  we  can  cal- 
culate to  a  day,  and  almost  to  an  hour,  when  we  shall  ar- 
rive at  our  destination. 


But  to  be  set  against  the  shorter  time  consumed  on  the 
voyage  there  are  numerous  little  desagremens.  There  is 
the  dismal,  never-ending  grind,  grind  of  the  screw,  some- 
times, when  the  ship  rolls,  and  the  screw  is  out  of  the 
water,  going  round  with  a  horrible  birr.  At  such  times 


UP  THE  PACIFIC.  207 

the  vessel  has  a  double  motion,  pitching  and  rolling, 
and  thereby  occasioning  an  inexpressibly  sickly  feeling. 
Then,  when  the  weather  is  hot,  there  is  the  steam  of  heat- 
ed oil  wafted  up  from  the  engine-room,  which,  mingled 
with  the  smell  of  bilge,  and  perhaps  cooking,  is  any  thing 
but  agreeable  or  appetizing.  I  must  also  acknowledge 
that  a  second-class  berth,  which  I  had  taken,  is  not  com- 
parable in  point  of  comfort  to  a  first,  not  only  as  regards 
the  company,  but  as  regards  smells,  food,  and  other  sur- 
roundings. 

There  are  not  many  passengers  at  my  end,  and  the  few 
there  are  do  not  make  themselves  very  agreeable.  First, 
there  are  two  German  Jews,  grumbling  and  growling  at 
every  thing.  They  are  a  couple  of  the  most  cantanker- 
ous fellows  I  ever  came  across — never  done  knagging, 
swearing,  grunting,  and  bellowing.  They  keep  the  stew- 
ard, who  is  an  obliging  sort  of  fellow,  in  a  state  of  con- 
stant "  wax,"  which,  when  I  want  any  thing  done  for  me, 
I  have  to  remedy  by  tipping ;  so  that  they  are  likely  to 
prove  somewhat  costly  companions,  though  in  a  peculiar 
way. 

Next  there  is  a  German -Yankee,  a  queer  old  fellow, 
who  came  on  board  at  Auckland.  He  seems  to  have 
made  some  money  at  one  of  the  New  Zealand  goldfields 
called  "The  Serpentine,"  somewhere  near  Dunedin. 
This  old  fellow  and  I  cotton  together  very  well.  He  is 
worth  a  dozen  of  the  other  two  Germans.  He  had  been 
all  through  the  American  War  under  Grant,  and  spins 
some  long  yarns  about  the  Northerners  and  the  "  cussed 
rebs." 

As  there  are  twenty-seven  bunks  in  our  cabin  and  only 
four  passengers,  there  is,  of  course,  plenty  of  room  and 


208  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

to  spare ;  but  there  is  also  a  "lady"  passenger  at  our  end 
of  the  ship,  and  she  has  all  the  fifteen  sleeping-places  in 
her  cabin  to  herself.  It  might  be  supposed  that,  there 
being  only  one  lady,  she  would  be  in  considerable  de- 
mand with  her  fellow-passengers ;  but  it  was  quite  the 
contrary.  Miss  Kibbids,  as  I  will  call  her,  proved  to  be 
a  most  uninteresting  individual.  I  am  sorry  to  have  to 
confess  to  so  much  ungallantry;  but  the  only  effort 
which  I  made,  in  common  with  the  others,  was  to  avoid 
her — she  was  so  hopelessly  dense.  One  night  she  asked 
me,  quite  seriously, "  If  that  was  the  same  moon  they  had 
at  Sydney !"  I  am  sure  she  does  not  know  that  the  earth 
is  round.  By  stretching  a  hair  across  the  telescope  glass, 
I  made  her  look  in  and  showed  her  the  Line,  but  she  did 
not  see  the  joke.  She  gravely  asked  if  we  should  not 
land  at  the  Line :  she  understood  there  was  land  there ! 
Her  only  humor  is  displayed  at  table,  when  any  thing  is 
spilled  by  the  rolling  of  the  ship,  when  she  exclaims, 
"  Over  goes  the  apple-cart !"  But  enough  of  the  awful 
Miss  Eibbids. 

There  are,  however,  other  passengers  aboard  that  must 
not  be  forgotten — the  rats !  I  used  to  have  a  horror  of 
rats,  but  here  I  soon  became  used  to  them.  The  first 
night  I  slept  on  board  I  smelt  something  very  disgusting 
as  I  got  into  my  bunk,  and  at  last  I  discovered  that  it 
arose  from  a  dead  rat  in  the  wainscot  of  the  ship.  My 
nose  being  somewhat  fastidious  as  yet,  I  moved  to  the 
other  side  of  the  cabin.  But  four  kegs  of  strong-smell- 
ing butter  sent  me  quickly  out  of  that.  I  then  tried  a 
bunk  next  to  the  German  Jews,  but  I  found  proximity 
to  them  was  the  least  endurable  of  all;  and  so,  after 
many  changes,  I  at  last  came  back  and  slept  contentedly 


UP  THE  PA  CIFIC.  209 

beside  my  unseen  and  most  unsavory  companion,  the 
dead  rat. 

But  there  are  plenty  of  living  and  very  lively  rats  too. 
One  night  a  big  fellow  ran  over  my  face,  and  in  a  fright 
I  cried  out.  But  use  is  every  thing,  and  in  the  course  of 
a  few  more  nights  I  got  quite  rid  of  my  childish  aston- 
ishment and  fear  at  rats  running  over  my  face.  Have 
you  ever  heard  rats  sing?  I  assure  you  they  sing  in  a 
very  lively  chorus,  though  I  confess  I  have  heard  much 
pleasanter  music  in  my  time. 

Amid  all  these  little  troubles  the  ship  went  steadily 
on.  During  the  second  night  after  leaving  Auckland 
the  wind  began  to  blow  pretty  fresh,  and  the  hatch  was 
closed.  It  felt  very  close  and  stuffy  below  that  night. 
The  light  went  out,  and  the  rats  had  it  all  their  own 
way.  On  the  following  day  it  was  impossible  to  go  on 
deck  without  getting  wet  through,  so  we  were  forced  to 
stick  down  below.  The  rolling  of  the  ship  was  also  con- 
siderable. 

Next  day  was  fine,  but  hot.  The  temperature  sensibly 
and  even  rapidly  increases  as  we  approach  the  Line.  "We 
see  no  land,  though  we  have  passed  through  among  the 
Friendly  Islands,  with  the  Samoa  or  Navigator's  Islands 
lying  to  the  west.  It  is  now  a  clear  course  to  Honolulu. 
Not  being  able  to  go  on  deck  in  the  heat  of  the  day  at 
risk  of  sunstroke,  I  wait  until  the  sun  has  gone  down, 
and  then  slip  on  deck  with  my  rug  and  pillow,  and  en- 
joy a  siesta  under  the  stars.  But  sometimes  I  am  dis- 
turbed by  a  squall,  and  have  to  take  refuge  below  again. 

As  the  heat  increases,  so  do  the  smells  on  board.  In 
passing  from  the  deck  to  our  cabin  I  pass  through  seven 
distinct  perfumes :  1st,  the  smell  from  the  galley  smoke ; 


210  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

2d,  the  perfume  of  decaying  vegetables  stored  on  the  up- 
per deck ;  3d,  fowls ;  4th,  dried  fish  ;  5th,  oil  and  steam 
from  the  engine-room ;  6th,  meat  undergoing  the  process 
of  cooking ;  Yth,  the  galley  by  which  I  pass ;  until  I 
finally  enter  No.  8,  our  own  sweet  cabin,  with  the  butter, 
the  rats,  and  the  German  Jews. 

"We  are  again  in  the  midst  of  the  flying  fish,  but  they 
interest  me  nothing  like  so  vividly  as  they  did  when  I 
first  saw  them  in  the  Atlantic.  Some  of  them  take  very 
long  flights,  as  much  as  thirty  or  forty  yards.  Whole 
shoals  of  them  fly  away  from  the  bows  of  the  ship  as  she 
presses  through  the  water. 

On  the  19th  of  January  we  crossed  the  Line,  in  longi- 
tude about  160°.  We  continue  on  a  straight  course, 
making  an  average  of  about  240  miles  a  day.  It  already 
begins  to  get  cooler,  as  we  are  past  the  sun's  greatest 
heat.  It  is  a  very  idle,  listless  life,  and  I  lie  about  on 
the  hen-coops  all  day,  reading,  or  sitting  down  now  and 
then  to  write  up  this  log,  which  has  been  written  through- 
out amid  discomfort  and  under  considerable  difficulties. 

One  of  my  fellow-passengers  is  enraged  at  the  manner 
in  which  newspapers  are  treated  while  in  transit.  If 
what  he  says  be  true,  I  can  easily  understand  how  it  is 
that  so  many  newspapers  miscarry — how  so  many  num- 
bers of  "  Punch"  and  the  "  Illustrated  News"  never  reach 
their  destination.  My  informant  says  that  when  an  offi- 
cer wants  a  newspaper,  the  mail-bag  is  opened,  and  he 
takes  what  he  likes.  He  might  just  as  well  be  permitted 
to  have  letters  containing  money.  Many  a  poor  colonial 
who  can  not  write  a  letter  buys  and  dispatches  a  news- 
paper to  his  friends  at  home  to  let  them  know  he  is  alive., 
and  this  is  the  careless  and  unfaithful  way  in  which  the 


UP  THE  PA  CIFIG.  211 

missive  is  treated  by  those  to  whom  its  carriage  is  in- 
trusted. I  heard  many  complaints  while  in  Victoria  of 
newspapers  containing  matter  of  interest  never  reaching 
their  address,  from  which  I  infer  that  the  same  practice 
more  or  less  prevails  on  the  Atlantic  route.  It  is  really 
too  bad. 

As  we  steam  north  the  weather  grows  fine,  and  we  be- 
gin to  have  some  splendid  days  and  glorious  sunsets ;  but 
we  are  all  longing  eagerly  to  arrive  at  our  destination. 
At  length,  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  January,  we 
discerned  the  high  land  of  the  island  of  Hawaii  about 
seventy  miles  off,  on  our  beam.  That  is  the  island  where 
Captain  Cook  was  murdered  by  the  natives  in  1779.  We 
saw  distinctly  the  high,  conical  volcanic  mountain  of 
Mauna  Loa,  14,000  feet  high,  its  peak  showing  clear 
above  the  gray  clouds. 

We  steamed  on  all  day,  peering  ahead,  looking  out  for 
the  land.  Night  fell,  and  still  our  port  was  not  in  sight. 
At  length,  at  about  ten,  the  light-house  on  the  reef  which 
stretches  out  in  front  of  Honolulu  shone  out  in  the  dark- 
ness. Then  began  a  little  display  of  fire-works,  and  rock- 
ets and  blue-lights  were  exchanged  between  our  ship  and 
the  shore.  A  rocket  also  shot  up  from  a  steamer  to  sea- 
ward, and  she  was  made  out  to  be  the  "  Moses  Taylor," 
the  ship  that  is  to  take  us  on  to  San  Francisco. 

At  about  one  in  the  morning  we  take  our  pilot  on 
board,  and  shortly  after  my  German  friends  rouse  me 
with  the  intelligence  that  we  are  alongside  the  wharf. 
I  am  now,  however,  getting  an  "  old  bird ;"  my  enthu- 
siasm about  novelty  has  gone  down  considerably,  and  I 
decline  the  pleasure  of  accompanying  them  on  shore  at 
this  early  hour.  Honolulu  will  doubtless  wait  for  me 
until  morning. 


212 


ROUND  THE  WOULD. 


UO>iOI'tTLU,   SANDWICH  ISLANDS. 


.      CHAPTER  XXI. 

HONOLULU   AND   THE   ISLAND   OF   OAHTJ. 

The  Harbor  of  Honolulu. — Importance  of  its  Situation. — The  City.— 
Churches  and  Theatres. — The  Post-office. — The  Suburbs. — The  King's 
Palace. — The  Nuuanu  Valley. — Poi. — People  coming  down  the  Val- 
ley.— The  Pali. — Prospect  from  the  Cliffs.— The  Natives  (Kanakas). 
—Divers.— The  Women.— Drink  Prohibition.— The  Chinese.— The- 
atricals. — Musquitoes. 

WHEN  I -came  on  deck  in  the  early  morning  the  sun 
was  rising  behind  the  mountains  which  form  the  back- 
ground of  Honolulu  as  seen  from  the  harbor,  tipping 
them  with  gold  and  red,  and  bathing  the  landscape  in 
beauty.  I  could  now  survey  at  leisure  the  lovely  scene. 

I  found  we  had  entered  a  noble  harbor,  round  which 


HONOLULU  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  213 

the  town  of  Honolulu  is  built,  with  its  quays,  warehouses, 
and  ship-yards.  Looking  seaward,  I  observe  the  outer 
bay  is  nearly  closed  in  at  its  lower  extremity  by  the  long 
ridge-like  hill  called  Diamond  Head.  Nearer  at  hand, 
behind  the  town,  is  a  remarkable  eminence  called  Punch- 
bowl Hill,  evidently  of  volcanic  origin,  crowned  with  a 
battery,  and  guarding  the  entrance  to  the  smaller  bay 
which  forms  the  harbor. 

The  entrance  to  the  harbor  is  through  a  passage  in 
one  of  the  coral  reefs  which  surround  the  island,  the 
coral  insects  building  upward  from  the  submerged  flanks 
of  the  land  until  the  reefs  emerge  from  the  waves  more 
or  less  distant  from  the  shore.  As  the  water  at  the  shal- 
lowest part  of  the  entrance  is  only  about  twenty-two 
feet,  vessels  of  twenty-feet  draught  and  over  have  to  re- 
main outside,  where,  however,  there  is  good  anchorage 
and  shelter,  unless  when  the  wind  blows  strong  from  the 
south.  The  water  inside  the  reefs  is  usually  smooth, 
though  the  waves  outside  may  be  dashing  themselves  to 
foam  on  their  crests. 

A  glance  at  the  situation  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  on 
the  map  will  serve  to  show  the  important  part  they  are 
destined  to  play  in  the  future  commerce  of  the  Pacific. 
They  lie  almost  directly  in  the  course  of  all  ships  pass- 
ing from  San  Francisco  and  Vancouver  to  China  and 
Japan,  as  well  as  to  New  Zealand  and  Australia.  They 
are  almost  equidistant  from  the  coasts  of  Russia  and 
America,  being  rather  nearer  to  the  American  coast,  from 
which  they  are  distant  about  2100  miles.  They  form, 
as  it  were,  a  stepping-stone  on  the  great  ocean  highway 
of  the  Pacific  between  the  East  and  the  West — between 
the  Old  World  and  the  New — as  well  as  between  the 


214 


ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


newest  and  most 
prosperous  settle- 
ments in  the  west- 
ern states  of  Amer- 
ica and  Australia; 
and  it  is  because 
Honolulu  —  the 
principal  town  in 
the  island  of  Oahu,  and  the  capital  of  the  Sandwich  Isl- 
ands— possesses  by  far  the  best,  most  accessible,  and  con- 
venient harbor,  that  it  is  a  place  likely  to  become  of  so 
much  importance  in  the  future.  It  has  not  been  unusual 
to  see  as  many  as  from  a  hundred  to  a  hundred  and  fifty 
sail  riding  securely  at  anchor  there. 

As  seen  from  the  harbor,  Honolulu  is  an  extremely 
pretty  place.  It  lies  embowered  in  fresh  green  foliage, 
the  roofs  of  the  houses  peeping  up  here  and  there  from 
among  the  trees,  while  the  waving  fronds  of  the  cocoa- 
nut  palms  rise  in  some  places  majestically  above  them, 
contrasting  strangely  with  the  volcanic  crags  and  peaks 
which  form  the  distant  background.  In  the  older  part 
of  the  town,  to  the  right,  the  houses  are  more  scattered 
about ;  and  from  the  first  appearance  of  the  place,  one 
would  scarcely  suppose  that  it  contained  so  large  a  popu- 
lation as  twelve  thousand,  though  many  of  the  houses 
are  doubtless  hidden  by  the  foliage  and  the  undulations 
of  the  ground  on  which  the  place  is  built. 

Behind  the  town,  a  plain  of  about  two  miles  in  width 
extends  to  the  base  of  the  mountain  range  which  forms 
its  background.  The  extraordinary  shapes  of  the  moun- 
tains— their  rugged  ravines  and  precipitous  peaks — un- 
mistakably denote  the  volcanic  agencies  that  have  been 


HONOLULU  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  215 

at  work  in  forming  the  islands,  and  giving  to  the  scenery 
its  most  marked  features.  Just  at  the  back  of  the  town, 
a  deep  valley,  or  rather  gorge,  runs  through  a  break  in 
the  hills,  the  sides  of  which  are  covered  with  bright 
green  foliage.  The  country,  which  rises  gradually  up 
this  break  in  the  mountains,  is  exceedingly  picturesque. 
Altogether,  the  first  sight  of  the  place  came  fully  up  to 
my  anticipations  of  the  beauty  of  a  tropical  town  in  the 
Pacific. 

I  proceeded  to  take  my  first  walk  through  Honolulu 
at  half  past  five  in  the  morning.  It  was  the  25th  of 
January — the  dead  of  winter ;  but  there  is  no  winter  in 
Honolulu.  It  is  as  warm  as  August  is  in  England ;  and 
the  warmth  of  the  place  all  the  year  through  is  testified 
by  the  fact  that  there  is  not  a  dwelling-house  chimney  in 
the  town.  I  walked  along  the  shady  streets  up  to  the 
market-place,  and  there  I  found  a  number  of  the  natives 
squatted  on  their  haunches,  selling  plantains,  oranges, 
bananas,  fruits,  and  vegetables.  I  invested  sixpence  in 
an  enormous  bunch  of  bananas,  which  I  carried  back 
with  me  to  the  ship  for  the  use  of  our  party,  very  much 
to  their  enjoyment,  for  the  fruit  was  in  perfection. 

In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  I  proceeded  to  explore 
Honolulu  at  greater  leisure.  I  found  the  central  portion 
of  the  town  consisted  of  regularly  laid-out  streets,  many 
of  the  houses  inclosed  within  gardens.  The  trees,  stand- 
ing here  and  there  among  the  shops  and  warehouses, 
give  them  a  fresh  and  primitive  look.  I  pass  several 
places  of  worship  in  going  to  the  Post-office — the  En- 
glish Cathedral,  chapels  of  American  Congregationalists, 
Wesleyan  Methodists,  and  Eoman  Catholics.  There  is 
also  the  Royal  Hawaiian  Theatre,  and  an  Equestrian 


216  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

Circus,  as  well  as  a  Police-office.  Police?  "Yes;  bless 
you,  sir,  we  are  civilized  !" 

I  could  see  the  Post-office  a  long  way  off  before  I 
reached  it,  standing  in  a  small  square  at  the  head  of  one 
of  the  principal  streets.  It  was  easily  known  by  the 
crowd  of  people,  both  natives  and  foreigners,  on  the 
steps ;  for  the  mail  had  just  come  in  by  the  "  Moses  Tay- 
lor," and  every  body  was  anxious  to  know  what  had  been 
the  upshot  of  the  European  war  and  the  siege  of  Paris. 
That  war  even  threatens  to  disturb  the  peace  of  Hono- 
lulu itself ;  for  there  is  now  a  French  man-of-war  at  an- 
chor in  the  harbor,  the  "  Hamelin,"  watching  a  fine  Ger- 
man merchant  ship,  the  "  Count  Bismarck,"  that  arrived 
a  few  days  before  the  Frenchman.  The  Germans  have 
taken  the  precaution  to  paint  "  Honolulu"  on  the  stern 
of  their  vessel,  and  to  place  themselves  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Hawaiian  government.  So  the  commander 
of  the  French  ship,  finding  he  can  make  no  capture  here, 
has  weighed  anchor  and  steamed  out  of  port,  doubtless 
to  lie  in  wait  for  the  German  vessel  outside  should  she 
venture  to  put  to  sea. 

I  found  the  Post-office  a  sort  of  joint  post-office  and 
stationer's  shop,  the  principal  business  consisting  in  the 
sale  of  newspapers.  I  was  amazed  to  find  that,  though 
a  steamer  runs  regularly  from  Honolulu  to  Australia, 
there  is  no  postal  communication  with  Victoria  except 
via  America  and  England !  This  is  on  account  of  the 
Victorian  government  refusing  to  subsidize  the  new 
Californian  and  Australian  mail  line.  Should  such  a 
line  become  established  and  prosper,  the  Victorians  fear 
that  an  advantage  would  be  given  to  Sydney,  and  that 
Melbourne,  instead  of  being  on  the  main  line  of  mail 


HONOL  UL  U  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  217 

communication,  as  it  now  is,  would  be  shunted  on  to  a 
branch.  But  surely  there  is  room  enough  for  a  mail  line 
by  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  routes,  without  occasion 
for  jealousy  either  on  the  part  of  Sydney  or  Melbourne. 

After  settling  my  business  at  the  Post-office,  accompa- 
nied by  my  German- Yankee  fellow-passenger,  I  took  a 
stroll  round  the  town  and  suburbs ;  though  it  is  so  open 
and  green  that  it  seems  all  suburbs.  We  invested  a 
small  sum  in  oranges,  which  we  found  in  perfection,  and 
sucked  them  as  we  went  along  in  the  most  undignified 
way  possible.  We  directed  our  steps  to  that  part  of  the 
town  where  the  better  class  seemed  to  reside,  in  cool, 
shady  lanes,  the  houses  embowered  in  large-leaved  trop- 
ical trees,  cocoanut,  banana,  bread-fruit,  calabash,  and 
other  palms,  with  cycas  and  tree-ferns  with  stems  some 
fifteen  feet  high.  Flower-bearing  shrubs  also  abounded, 
such  as  the  hibiscus,  mairi,  of  which  the  women  make 
wreaths,  and  gardenia,  with  the  flowers  of  which  they 
also  adorn  themselves.  In  some  of  the  gardens  water 
was  laid  on,  and  pretty  fountains  were  playing,  from 
which  it  would  appear  that  the  water  supply  is  good,  and 
that  there  is  a  good  head  of  it  in  some  mountain  reser- 
voir above. 

We  strolled  along  to  the  right  of  the  town,  toward  the 
high  volcanic  mountain  on  which  the  fort  is  situated,  the 
long-extinct  crater  showing  plainly  on  its  summit.  Some 
years  since,  when  a  French  ship  bombarded  the  .town, 
the  Kanakas  who  manned  the  fort  threw  down  their 
sponges,  rammers,  and  all,  directly  the  first  shot  was 
fired,  leaving  the  fort  to  take  care  of  itself. 

We  returned  to  the  harbor  by  way  of  the  king's  palace, 
which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  may  be  known 

K 


218  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

by  the  royal  flag  floating  over  it.  The  palace  is  built  of 
coral  stone,  and  is  an  unpretending  building,  reminding 
one  of  a  French  maison  de  campagne.  It  stands  in 
about  an  acre  of  ground,  ornamented  with  flowers,  shrubs, 
and  an  avenue  of  kukui  and  koa  trees.  A  native  sentry 
stood  at  the  gate  in  his  uniform  of  blue  coat  and  white 
trowsers,  and  with  his  musket  duly  shouldered  in  regu- 
lation style. 

On  the  following  day  I  made  an  excursion  with  an 
American  gentleman,  who^is  something  of  a  naturalist, 
to  the  remarkable  valley,  or  gorge,  in  the  mountains  at 
the  back  of  the  town,  which  had  so  attracted  my  notice 
when  I  first  saw  it  from  the  deck  of  our  ship.  It  is  call- 
ed the  ISTunanu  Valley,  and  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit. 
The  main  street  of  the  town  leads  directly  up  to  the  en- 
trance to  the  valley;  and  on  the  road  we  passed  many 
pretty  low-roofed  houses  surrounded  by  beautifully-kept 
gardens,  the  houses  being  those  of  the  chief  merchants 
and  consuls  of  the  port.  They  looked  quite  cool  and 
pleasant,  embowered  in  green  papyrus,  tamarind,  and 
palm  trees,  which  shaded  them  from  the  hot  tropical 
sun  with  their  large-leaved  foliage.  1  find  the  sun  now, 
in  winter  time,  so  hot  that  it  is  almost  intolerable.  What 
must  it  be  in  summer  ? 

As  we  proceed  we  reach  the  fertile  land,  which  nearly 
all  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  the  long  disintegra- 
tion of  the  high  ground  having  left  a  rich  deposit  for 
vegetable  growth.  Some  patches  of  arrowroot  lie  close 
to  the  road,  irrigated  by  the  streams  that  run  down  from 
the  mountain  above.  But  the  principal  crop  is  the  taro 
plant  (Arum  esculentum\  from  which  the  native  food  of 
poi  is  made.  Let  me  say  a  few  words  about  this poi,  as 


HONOLULU -AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  219 

it  forms  the  main  staple  of  Hawaiian  food.  The  taro  is 
grown  in  pits  or  beds,  kept  very  wet ;  in  which  case, 
urged  by  the  natural  heat  of  the  climate,  it  grows  with 
immense  rapidity  and  luxuriance.  It  is  the  succulent 
root  which  is  used  for  food.  It  is  pounded  into  a  semi- 
fluid mess,  after  which  it  is  allowed  to  stand  a  few  days 
and  ferment;  it  is  then  worked  about  with  the  hands 
until  it  acquires  the  proper  consistency  for  eating,  when 
it  is  stored  in  gourds  and  calabashes.  It  must  be  of  a 
certain  thickness,  neither  too  soft  nor  too  firm,  something 
of  the  consistency  of  thick  flour-paste,  though  glutinous, 
and  it  is  eaten  in  the  following  manner.  Two  fingers 
are  dipped  into  the  pot  containing  the  poi,  and  turned 
rapidly  round  until  a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  paste  ad- 
heres to  them ;  then,  by  a  rapid  motion,  the  lot  is  wrig- 
gled out  of  the  pot,  conveyed  into  the  mouth,  and  the  fin- 
gers are  sucked  clean.  Young  girls  dip  in  only  one  fin- 
ger at  a  time,  the  men  two  fingers.  I  was  frequently  in- 
vited to  dip  my  fingers  into  the  poi  and  try  it,  being  told 
that  it  was  very  good,  but  I  had  not  the  courage.* 

But  to  proceed  on  my  walk  up  the  Nuuanu  Valley. 
About  two  miles  from  the  town  we  came  to  a  very  pret- 
ty villa  on  one  side  of  the  road,  with  some  large  native 
huts,  in  a  shady  garden,  on  the  other.  We  find  that  this 
villa  is  the  country  residence  of  Queen  Emma.  Looking 
in  through  the  gate  of  the  garden  opposite,  who  should  I 
see  but  our  quondam  lady  passenger  from  Sydney,  Miss 

*  The  poi  is  said  to  grow  so  abundantly  and  with  so  little  labor  in  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  that  it  tends  to  encourage  the  natural  indolence  of  the 
people.  A  taro  pit  no  bigger  than  an  ordinary  drawing-room  will  keep  a 
man  in  food  a  whole  year.  Nature  is  so  prolific  that  labor  is  scarcely 
requisite  in  these  hot  climates.  Thus  the  sun  may  be  a  great  demorali- 


220  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

Kibbids,  reclining  on  a  bank  in  the  most  luxurious  fash- 
ion !  She  had  walked  up  the  valley  alone,  she  informed 
us,  and  the  natives  had  been  most  kind  to  her,  giving  her 
fruits,  and  wreaths  of  flowers  for  her  adornment. 

Proceeding  up  the  valley,  we  find  ourselves  on  high 
ground,  our  road  having  been  for  the  most  part  up  hill. 
Looking  back,  a  charming  view  lies  spread  before  us. 
The  sky  is  brilliant  and  unclouded.  Below  us  lies  the 
town  and  harbor,  the  blue  sea  as  smooth  as  a  mirror, 
shipping  dotting  the  bay,  and  a  silvery  line  of  water 
breaking  along  the  distant  reef.  We  begin  to  catch  the 
breeze  blowing  from  the  upper  part  of  the  valley,  and  it 
feels  fresh  and  invigorating  after  toiling  under  the  noon- 
day sun. 

As  we  ascend  the  road  we  meet  several  of  the  native 
girls  coming  down  on  horseback.  They  seem  to  have 
quite  a  passion  for  riding  in  the  island,  and  have  often 
to  be  prevented  racing  through  the  streets  of  Honolulu. 
The  horses  are  of  a  poor  breed ;  but  the  women,  who  sit, 
astride  'like  the  men,  seem  plucky  riders,  their  long,  flow- 
ing dresses  making  respectable  riding-habits.  Most  of 
the  girls  wore  garlands  of  ohelo  and  other  flowers  round 
their  heads,  being  very  fond  of  ornament. 

Shortly  after  meeting  the  girls  a  man  passed  us,  at  the 
usual  jog  canter,  with  a  coffin  slung  on  the  saddle  in  front 
of  him,  and  after  him  followed  another  rider  with  the 
lid.  We  remarked  upon  the  strange  burden,  and  I  asked 
of  the  first  man  who  was  going  to  be  buried.  "  My 
wife,"  he  replied ;  "  me  pay  seventy-five  dollars  for  um 
coffin."  He  grinned,  and  seemed  quite  pleased  with  his 
coffin,  which  was  really  a  handsome  one. 

As  we  ascend,  we  seem  to  get  quite  into  the  bush. 


HONOL  UL  U  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAR  U.  221 

Thick  vegetation  spreads  up  the  steep  hills  on  each  side 
of  us.  I  can  now  understand  how  difficult  it  must  be  to 
travel  through  a  tropical  forest.  The  brushwood  grows 
so  close  together,  and  is  so  intertwined,  that  it  would  ap- 
pear almost  impossible  to  force  one's  way  through  it. 
The  mountains  rise  higher  and  higher  as  we  advance, 
and  are  covered  with  lovely  light  green  foliage.  The 
hills  seem  to  have  been  thrown  up  evenly  in  ridges,  each 
ridge  running  up  the  mountain  side  having  its  separate 
peak.  Here  and  there  a  small  cataract  leaps  down  the 
face  of  a  rock,  shining  like  a  silver  thread,  and  disap- 
pearing in  the  brushwood  below  until  it  comes  down  to 
swell  the  mountain  torrent  running  by  our  side  close  to 
the  road. 

At  a  turn  of  the  road  we  suddenly  encountered  a 
number  of  men  coming  down  from  some  cattle  ranch  in 
the  hills,  mounted  d  la  Mexicaine,  with  lassos  on  their 
saddles  and  heavy  whips  in  their  hands,  driving  before 
them  a  few  miserable  cattle.  There  seemed  to  be  about 
eighteen  men  to  a  dozen  small  beasts.  I  guess  that  a 
couple  of  Australian  stockmen,  with  their  whips,  could 
easily  have  driven  before  them  the  whole  lot — men,  hor- 
ses, and  cattle. 

We  were  now  about  seven  miles  from  Honolulu,  and 
very  near  the  end  of  our  up-hill  journey.  After  walking 
up  a  steeper  ascent  than  usual,  the  scenery  becoming 
even  more  romantic  and  picturesque,  we  pass  through  a 
thicket  of  hibiscus  and  other  trees,  when  suddenly,  on 
turning  round  a  small  pile  of  volcanic  rocks,  we  emerge 
on  an  open  space,  and  the  grand  precipice,  or  Pali,  of  the 
Kuuanu  Yalley  bursts  upon  us  with  startling  effect. 

Here,  in  some  tremendous  convulsion  of  Nature,  the 


222  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

mountain  ridge  seems  to  have  been  suddenly  rent  and 
burst  through  toward  its  summit,  and  we  look  down  over 
a  precipice  some  five  hundred  feet  deep.  It  is  possible 
to  wind  down  the  face  of  the  rock  by  a  narrow  path,  but, 
having  no  mind  to  make  the  descent,  we  rest  and  admire 
the  magnificent  prospect  before  and  below  us.  Under 
the  precipice  is  a  forest,  so  near  to  the  foot  of  the  rock 
that  one  might  easily  pitch  a  stone  into  it.  Over  the  for- 
est stretches  a  lovely  country,  green  and  fresh,  dotted 
with  hills  and  woods.  The  sea,  about  seven  miles  off, 
bounds  the  view,  with  its  silver  line  of  breakers  on  the 
outer  reef.  The  long  line  of  white  looks  beautiful  on 
the  calm  blue  sea,  with  the  sun  shining  on  it.  The  coun- 
try before  us  did  not  seem  to  be  much  cultivated.  Here 
and  there,  below  us,  a  native  hut  might  be  discerned 
amid  the  trees,  but  no  large  dwelling  or  village  was  in 
sight. 

The  rent  in  the  mountain  through  which  we  have 
passed  is  torn  and  rugged.  Immense  masses  of  black 
rock,  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  nearly  perpen- 
dicular, form  the  two  sides  of  the  rift.  On  one  side  the 
mountain  seems  to  rise  straight  up  into  the  air  until  it  is 
lost  in  a  white  cloud;  on  the  other  side  the  rock  is 
equally  precipitous,  but  not  quite  so  high.  From  this 
last  the  range  stretches  away  in  a  semicircle,  ending 
along  the  coast  some  twenty  miles  distant. 

A  few  more  words  about  the  natives,  whom  I  have  as 
yet  only  incidentally  alluded  to.  Of  course  I  saw  a 
good  deal  of  them,  in  one  way  or  another,  during  my 
brief  stay  at  Honolulu.  ~We  had  scarcely  got  alongside 
the  wharf  ere  the  Kanakas — as  they  are  called — came 
aboard,  popping  their  heads  in  and  out  of  the  cabins, 


HONOL  UL  U  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  223 

some  selling  bananas  and  oranges,  others  offering  coral 
and  curiosities,  but  most  of  them  to  examine  the  ship  out 
of  mere  curiosity.  From  what  I  observed,  I  should  say 
that  the  Kanakas  are  of  the  same  stock  as  the  Maoris, 
not  so  much  tattoo-marked,  much  more  peacefully  in- 
clined, and  probably  more  industrious.  Some  of  the 
men  are  tall  and  handsome,  which  is  more  than  I  can 
say  of  the  women.  The  men  do  not  work  very  heartily 
on  day-wages,  but  well  enough  when  paid  by  the  piece. 
Here,  on  the  wharf,  they  get  a  dollar  for  a  day's  work, 
and  a  dollar  and  a  half  for  night-work.  They  are  em- 
ployed in  filling  the  coal-bunkers  and  unloading  the 
ship. 

The  Kanakas  are  capital  divers,  and  work  almost  as 
well  in  the  water  as  out  of  -it.  I  saw  one  of  them  en- 
gaged in  repairing  the  bottom  of  the  "  Moses  Taylor,"  by 
which  I  am  to  sail  for  San  Francisco.  He  is  paid  three 
dollars  for  a  general  inspection,  or  five  dollars  for  a  day's 
work.  I  saw  him  go  down  to  nail  a  piece  of  copper- 
sheathing  on  the  bottom,  where  it  had  been  damaged  in 
grounding  upon  a  rock  when  last  coming  out  of  San 
Francisco  harbor.  He  took  down  about  thirty  copper 
nails  in  his  mouth,  with  the  hammer  and  sheet  of  copper 
.in  his  hand,  coming  up  to  breathe  after  each  nail  was 
knocked  in.  I  could  hear  the  loud  knocking  as  he  drove 
the  nails  into  the  ship's  side.  At  the  same  time,  some 
Kanaka  boys  were  playing  about  in  the  water  near  at 
hand,  diving  for  stones  or  bits  of  money.  The  piece 
was  never  allowed  to  sink  more  than  a  few  feet  before  a 
boy  was  down  after  it  and  secured  it.  They  never  missed 
the  smallest  silver  bit.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  some  of 
them  could  swim  before  they  could  walk. 


224  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

As  for  the  women,  although  travelers  have  spread 
abroad  reports  of  their  beauty,  I  was  unable  to  see  it. 
While  the  "  Moses  Taylor"  lay  in  the  harbor,  the  saloon 
was  sometimes  full  of  native  girls,  who  came  down  from 
the  country  to  see  the  ship  and  admire  themselves  in  the 
two  large  saloon  mirrors,  before  which  they  stood  laugh- 
ing and  giggling.  Their  usual  dress  consists  of  a  long, 
loose  gown,  reaching  down  to  the  ankles,  with  no  fasten- 
ing round  the  waist ;  and  their  heads  and  necks  are  usu- 
ally adoiaaed  with  leaves  or  flowers  of  some  sort.  They 
seemed  to  me  very  like  the  Maori  women,  but  without 
the  blue  tattoo-mark  on  the  lips ;  nor  are  their  features 
so  strongly  marked,  though  they  had  the  same  wide  faces, 
black  eyes,  full  nostrils,  and  large  lips.  Their  skins  are 
of  various  hues,  from  a  yellow  to  a  dusky  brown.  Their 
feet  and  hands  are  usually  small  and  neat. 

I  am  told  that  the  race  is  degenerating  and  dying  out 
fast.  The  population  of  the  islands  is  said  to  be  little 
more  than  one  tenth  of  what  it  was  when  Captain  Cook 
visited  them,  and  this  falling  off  is  reported  to  be  mainly 
due^  to  the  unchaste  habits  of  the  women.  The  mission- 
aries have  long  been  trying  to  make  a  salutary  impression 
on  them,  but,  though  the  natives  profess  Christianity  in 
various  forms,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  it  is  a  profession, 
and  little  more.  The  king,  also,  has  tried  to  make  them 
more  moral  by  putting  in  force  a  sort  of  Maine  liquor- 
law;  but  every  ship  that  enters  the  harbor  is  beset  by 
natives  wanting  drink,  and  they  adopt  various  methods 
of  evading  the  law.  The  license  charged  by  the  govern- 
ment to  a  retailer  of  spirits  is  a  thousand  dollars  a  year ; 
but  he  must  not  sell  liquor  to  any  foreigner  on  Sunday, 
nor  to  any  native  at  any  time,  under  a  penalty  of  five 


HONOL UL U  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  225- 

hundred  dollars.  This  penalty  is  rigidly  exacted;  and 
if  the  spirit-dealer  is  unable  to  pay  the  fine,  he  is  put  on 
to  the  coral-reefs,  to  work  at  twenty-five  cents  a  day  un- 
til he  has  worked  off  the  amount.  Accordingly,  the 
liquor-trade  is  followed  by  very  few  persons,  and  the 
consumption  of  drink  by  the  natives  is  very  much  cur- 
tailed, compared,  for  instance,  with  what  it  is  among  the 
drink-consuming  natives  of  New  Zealand,  who  are  al- 
lowed to  swallow  the  "  fire-water,"  to  the  great  profit  of 
the  publicans  and  to  their  own  demoralization,  without 
any  restriction  whatever. 

I  find  the  government  here  also  levies  a  very  consid- 
erable sum  from  the  Chinese  for  the  privilege  of  selling 
opium.  It  is  put  up  annually  to  auction,  and  in  some 
years  as  much  as  forty-five  thousand  dollars  have  been 
paid  for  the  monopoly,  though  this  year  it  has  brought 
considerably  less,  in  consequence  of  the  dullness  of  trade. 
From  this  circumstance  it  will  be  inferred  that  there  is  a 
considerable  Chinese  population  in  the  place.  Indeed, 
some  of  the  finest  stores  in  Honolulu  are  kept  by  China- 
men. I  did  not  at  first  observe  many  of  these  people 
about ;  but  afterward,  when  exploring,  I  found  whole 
back  streets  full  of  Chinamen's  huts  and  houses. 

From  the  announcements  of  theatrical  and  other  en- 
tertainments I  see  about,  the  people  here  must  be  very 
fond  of  amusement.  Indeed,  Honolulu  seems  to  be  one 
of  the  great  centres  of  pleasure  in  the  Pacific.  All  wan- 
dering "  stars"  come  hither.  When  I  was  at  Auckland, 
in  New  Zealand,  I  went  to  the  theatre  to  see  a  troupe  of 
Japanese  jugglers.  I  had  seen  the  identical  troupe  in 
London,  and  "All  Eight"  was  among  them.  They  were 
on  their  way  to  Honolulu,  to  star  it  here  before  return- 

K2 


226  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

ing  to  Japan.  Charles  Mathews,  with  whom  I  made  the 
voyage  from  Melbourne  to  Sydney,  is  also  advertised  to 
appear, "  for  a  few  nights  only,"  at  the  Royal  Hawaiian 
Theatre.*  And  now  here  is  The  Bandman,  my  fellow- 
passenger  from  Auckland,  advertised,  in  big  placards,  as 
"  The  World-renowned  Shakspearian  Player,"  etc.,  who 

*  I  find  in  a  Californian  paper  the  following  amusing  account,  by  Mr. 
Mathews  himself,  of  his  appearance  before  a  Honolulu  audience : 

"At  Honolulu,  one  of  the  loveliest  little  spots  upon  earth,  I  acted  one 
night '  by  command,  and  in  the  presence  of  his  majesty  Kamehameha  V. , 
King  of  the  Sandwich  Islands'  (not  Hoky  Poky  Wonky  Fong,'  as  erro- 
neously reported),  and  a  memorable  night  it  was.  On  my  way  to  the 
quaint  little  Hawaiian  theatre,  situated  in  a  rural  lane,  in  the  midst  of  a 
pretty  garden,  glowing  with  gaudy  tropic^1  flowers,  and  shaded  by  cocoa- 
trees,  bananas,  banyans,  and  tamarinds,  I  met  the  play-bill  of  the  evening. 
A  perambulating  Kanaka  (or  native  black  gentleman),  walking  between 
two  boards  (called  in  London,  figuratively, '  a  sandwich  man, '  but  here,  of 
course,  literally  so),  carried 'aloft  a  large  illuminated  white  lantern,  with 
the  announcement  in  the  Kanaka  language  to  catch  the  attention  of  the 
colored  inhabitants  :  *  Charles  Mathews :  Keaka  Keia  Po  (Theatre  open 
this  evening).  Ka  uku  o  Ke  Komo  ana  (reserved  seats,  dress  circle), 
$2  50 ;  Nohi  mua  (Parquette),  $1 ;  Noho  ho  (Kanaka  pit),  75  cents.'  I 
found  the  theatre  (to  use  the  technical  expression)  '  crammed  to  suffoca- 
tion,' which  merely  means  'very  full,'  though,  from  the  state  of  the  ther- 
mometer on  this  occasion,  '  suffocation'  was  not  so  incorrect  a  description 
as  usual.  A  really  elegant-looking  audience  (tickets  10s.  each),  evening 
dresses,  uniforms  of  every  cut  and  every  country.  '  Chieftesses'  and  la- 
dies of  every  tinge,  in  dresses  of  every  color,  flowers  and  jewels  in  profu- 
sion, satin  play-bills,  fans  going,  windows  and  doors  all  open,  an  outside 
staircase  leading  straight  into  the  dress-circle,  without  lobby,  check-taker, 
or  money-taker.  Kanaka  women  in  the  garden  below  selling  bananas 
and  pea-nuts  by  the  glare  of  flaring  torches  on  a  sultry  tropical  moonlight 
night.  The  whole  thing  was  like  nothing  but  a  midsummer  night's  dream. 
And  was  it  nothing  to  see  a  pit  full  of  Kanakas,  black,  brown,  and  whitey- 
brown  (till  lately  cannibals),  showing  their  white  teeth,  grinning  and  en- 
joying *  Patter  v.  Clatter'  as  much  as  a  few  years  ago  they  would  have  en- 
joyed the  roasting  of  a  missionary  or  the  baking  of  a  baby  ?  It  was  cer- 
tainly a  page  in  one's  life  never  to  be  forgotten. " 


HONOL  UL  U  AND  THE  ISLAND  OF  OAHU.  227 

is  about  to  give  a  series  of  such  and  such  representa- 
tions at  the  same  place. 

Beautiful  though  the  island  of  Oahu  may  be,  1  soon 
found  that  I  could  not  live  there.  Even  in  winter  it 
was  like  living  in  a  hot-house.  The. air  was  steamy  with 
heat,  and  frightfully  relaxing.  At  intervals  my  nose 
streamed  with  blood,  and  I  grew  sensibly  thinner.  Then 
I  suffered  terribly  from  the  inusquitoes ;  my  ankles  were 
quite  swollen  with  their  bites,  and  in  a  day  or  two  more 
I  should  have  been  dead-lame.  There  are,  besides,  oth- 
er tormentors — small  flies,  very  like  the  Victorian  sand- 
flies,  that  give  one  a  nasty  sting,  I  was  very  glad,  there- 
fore, after  four  days'  stay  at  Honolulu,  to  learn  that  the 
"  Moses  Taylor"  was  ready  to  sail  for  San  Francisco. 


228  MOUXD  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

HONOLULU    TO    SAN   FKANCISCO. 

Departure  from  Honolulu.  —  Wreck  of  the  "Saginaw."  —  The  "Moses 
Taylor." — The  Accommodation. —The  Company  on  Board. — Behavior 
of  the  Ship. — Death  of  a  Passenger. — Feelings  on  Landing  in  a  new 
Place. — Approach  the  Golden  Gate. — Close  of  the  Pacific  Log. — First 
Sight  of  America. 

THE  departure  of  the  "  Moses  Taylor"  was  evidently 
regarded  as  a  great  event  at  Honolulu.  At  the  hour  ap- 
pointed for  our  sailing  a  great  crowd  had  assembled  on 
the  wharf.  All  the  notabilities  of  the  place  seemed  to 
be  there.  First  and  foremost  was  the  king  of  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  himself,  Kamehameha  Y.  —  a  jolly-look- 
ing, portly  old  fellow,  standing  about  six  feet  high,  and 
weighing  -over  five-and- twenty  stone  —  every  inch  and 
ounce  a  king.  Then  there  were  the  chief  ministers  of 
his  court,  white,  yellow,  and  dusky.  There  were  also 
English,  Americans,  and  Chinese,  with  a  crowd  of  full- 
blooded  Kanakas,  all  very  orderly  and  admiring ;  and 
round  the  outskirts  of  the  throng  were  several  carriages 
filled  with  native  ladies. 

Punctually  at  half  past  4  P.M.  we  got  away  from  our 
moorings,  with  "  three  cheers  for  Honolulu,"  which  were 
raised  by  a  shipwrecked  crew  we  had  on  board.  Leav- 
ing the  pier,  we  shortly  passed  through  the  opening  in 
the  reef  which  forms  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and 
steamed  steadily  eastward  in  the  direction  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. 


HONOLULU  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  £29 

I  must  explain  how  it  was  that  the  "  three  cheers  for 
Honolulu"  were  raised.  The  "  Saginaw"  was  an  Amer- 
ican war-ship  that  had  been  sent  with  a  contract  party 
to  Midway  Island,  in  the  North  Pacific  —  some  fifteen 
hundred  miles  west-northwest  of  the  Sandwich  Islands 
— to  blast  the  coral  reef  there,  in  order  to  provide  a  har- 
borage for  the  line  of  large  steamers  running  between 
San  Francisco  and  China.  The  money  voted  for  the 
purpose  by  the  government  having  been  spent,  the  "  Sag- 
inaw" was  on  its  return  voyage  from  the  island,  when 
the  captain  determined  to  call  at  Ocean  Island  to  see  if 
there  were  any  shipwrecked  crews  there ;  but,  in  a  fog, 
the  ship  ran  upon  a  coral  reef,  and  was  itself  wrecked. 
The  men,  to  the  number  of.  ninety-three,  contrived  to 
reach  the  island,  where  they  remained  sixty-nine  days, 
during  which  they  lived  mostly  on  seal -meat  and  the 
few  stores  they  had  been  able  to  save  from  their  ship. 
The  island  itself  is  entirely  barren,  containing  only  a 
few  bushes  and  a  sort  of  dry  grass,  with  millions  of  rats, 
supposed  to  have  bred  from  rats  landed  from  shipwreck- 
ed vessels.  Strict  military  discipline  was  preserved  by 
the  officers,  and  the  men,  as  a  body,  behaved  remarkably 
well. 

At  length,  no  vessel  appearing  in  sight,  four  of  the 
sailors  volunteered  to  row  in  an  open  boat  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands — more  than  a  thousand  miles  distant — for 
the  purpose  of  reporting  the  wreck  of  the  ship,  and 
sending  relief  to  those  on  the  island.  The  boat  depart- 
ed, reached  the  reef  which  surrounds  Kauai,  an  island  to 
the  northwest  of  Oahu,  and  was  there  wrecked,  only  one 
of  the  men  succeeding  in  reaching  the  shore.  So  soon 
as  the  intelligence  of  the  wreck  of  the  "  Saginaw"  reach- 


230  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

ed  Honolulu,  the  government  immediately  dispatched  a 
steamer  to  take  the  men  off  the  desert  island,  and  hence 
the  enthusiastic  cheers  for  Honolulu  raised  by  the  res- 
cued officers  and  men  of  the  American  ship,  who  are 
now  all  on  board  the  "  Moses  Taylor,"  on  their  way  back 
to  San  Francisco. 

I  must  now  describe  my  new  ship.  She  is  called  the 
"  Rolling  Moses,"  but  with  what  justice  I  am  as  yet  un- 
able to  say.  She  certainly  looks  singularly  top -ham- 
pered— altogether  unlike  any  British  ship  that  I  have 
ever  seen.  She  measures  twice  as  much  in  the  beam  as 
the  "  City  of  Melbourne ;"  is  about  2000  tons  register ; 
is  flat  bottomed,  and  draws  about  fourteen  feet  of  wa- 
ter when  laden.  She  looks  like  a  great  big  house  afloat, 
or  rather  a  row  of  houses  more  than  thirty  feet  high. 
The  decks  seemed  piled  one  atop  of  the  other  quite  pro- 
miscuously. First  there  is  the  dining  saloon,  with  cabins 
all  round  it ;  above  is  the  drawing-room,  with  more  cab- 
ins ;  then  above  that  is  the  hurricane  deck,  with  numer- 
ous deck-houses  for  the  captain  and  officers ;  and  then, 
towering  above  all,  there  is  the  large  beam-engine  right 
between  the  paddle-boxes.  Altogether  it  looks  a  very 
unwieldy  affair,  and  1  would  certainly  much  rather  trust 
myself  to  such  a  ship  as  the  "  City  of  Melbourne."  It 
strikes  me  that,  in  a  heavy  sea,  "  Moses's"  hull  would  run 
some  risk  of  parting  company  with  the  immediate  struct- 
ure above. 

The  cabin  accommodation  is,  however,  greatly  supe- 
rior to  that  of  my  late  ship — there  is  so  much  more  room, 
and  the  whole  arrangements  for  the  comfort  of  the  pas- 
sengers are  all  that  could  be  desired.  The  Americans 
certainly  do  seem  to  understand  comfort  in  traveling. 


HONOL  UL  U  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO,  231 

The  stewards  and  people  about  are  civil  and  obliging, 
and  don't  seem  to  be  always  looking  for  a  "  tip,"  as  is  so 
customary  on  board  an  English  boat.  This  ship  also  is 
cleaner  than  the  one  I  liave  left — there  are  none  of  those 
hideous  smells  that  so  disgusted  nie  on  board  "  The  City." 
The  meals  are  better,  and  there  is  much  greater  variety 
— lots  of  different  little  dishes — of  meat,  stews,  mashed 
potatoes,  squashes,  hominy  or  corn-cake,  and  such  like. 
So  far  as  the  living  goes,  therefore,  I  think  I  shall  get  on 
very  well  on  board  the  "  Moses  Taylor." 

The  weather  is  wet,  and  what  sailors  call "  dirty,"  and 
it  grows  sensibly  colder.  As  there  is  no  pleasure  in  re- 
maining on  deck,  I  keep  for  the  most  part  below.  I  like 
my  company  very  much — mostly  consisting  of  the  ship- 
wrecked men  of  the  "  Saginaw."  They  are  nice,  lively 
fellows;  they  encourage  me  to  talk,  and  we  have  many 
a  hearty  laugh  together.  Some  of  them  give  me  no  end 
of  yarns  about  the  late  war,  in  which  they  were  engaged ; 
and  they  tell  me  (whether  true  or  not,  1  have  no  means 
of  knowing)  that  the  captain  of  the  ship  we  are  in  was 
first  lieutenant  of  the  "  pirate"  ship  "  Florida."  1  have 
not  found  among  my  companions  as  yet  any  of  that  self- 
assertion  or  pride  of  nationality  said  to  distinguish  the 
Yankee,  nor  have  I  heard  a  word  from  them  of  hostility 
to  John  Bull.  Indeed,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  them 
out,  I  began  bragging  a  little  about  England,  but  they  let 
me  have  my  own  way  without  contradiction,  They  say 
nothing  about  politics,  or,  if  they  allude  to  the  subject, 
express  very  moderate  opinions.  Altogether,  I  get  on 
with  them,  and  like  them  very  much. 

The  "  Moses  Taylor"  'proves  a  steadier  sea-boat  than  I 
expected  from  her  built-up  appearance.  She  certainly 


232  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

gives  many  a  long,  steady  roll,  but  there  is  little  pitching 
or  tossing.  When  the  sea  strikes  her  she  quivers  all  over 
in  a  rather  uncomfortable  way.  She  is  rather  an  old 
ship;  she  formerly  ran  between  Vancouver  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  is  certainly  the  worse  for  wear.  The  huge  en- 
gine-shafts shake  the  beams  which  support  them;  the 
pieces  of  timber  tremble  under  the  heavy  strokes  of  the 
engine,  and  considerable  apertures  open  from  time  to 
time  in  the  deck  as  she  heaves  to  and  fro.  The  weather, 
however,  is  not  stormy,  and  the  ship  will  doubtless  carry 
us  safely  to  the  end  of  our  voyage,  going  steadily,  as  she 
does,  at  the  rate  of  about  eight  knots  an  hour ;  and  as 
the  distance  between  Honolulu  and  the  American  coast 
is  about  2100  miles,  we  shall  probably  make  the  voyage 
in  about  ten  days. 

On  the  eighth  day  after  leaving  Honolulu  an  incident 
occurred  which  made  a  startling  impression  on  me. 
While  we  were  laughing  and  talking  in  the  cabin — kept 
down  there  by  the  rain — we  were  told  that  a  poor  man 
who  had  been  ailing  since  we  left  port  had  breathed  his 
last.  It  seemed  that  he  had  some  affection  of  the  gullet 
which  prevented  his  swallowing  food.  The  surgeon  on 
board  did  not  possess  the  necessary  instrument  to  enable 
him  to  introduce  food  into  his  stomach,  so  that  he  liter- 
ally died  of  starvation.  He  occupied  the  'berth  exactly 
opposite  mine,  and,  though  I  knew  he  was  ill,  I  had  no 
idea  that  his  end  was  so  near.  He  himself,  however, 
had  been  aware  of  it,  and  anxiously  wished  that  he  might 
survive  until  he  reached  San  Francisco,  where  his  wife 
was  to  meet  him  at  the  landing.  But  it  was  not  to  be, 
and  his  sudden  decease  gave  us  all  a  great  shock. 

We  had  our  breakfast  and  dinner  that  day  while  the 


HONOL  UL  U  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  233 

body  was  lying  in  the  cabin.  We  heard  the  carpenter 
busy  on  the  main  deck  knocking  together  a  coffin  for  its 
reception.  Every  time  he  knocked  a  nail  in,  I  thought 
of  the  poor  dead  fellow  who  lay  beside  us.  I  began  to 
speculate  as  to  the  various  feelings  with  which  passen- 
gers land  in  a  new  place.  Some  are  mere  passing  visit- 
ors like  myself,  bent  on  seeing  novel  sights ;  some  are 
going  thither,  full  of  hope,  to  make  a  new  settlement  in 
life ;  some  are  returning  home,  expecting  old  friends 
waiting  on  the  pier-head  to  meet  and  welcome  them. 
But  there  are  sad  meetings  too ;  and  here  there  will  be 
an  anxious  wife  waiting  at  the  landing-place  only  to  re- 
ceive the  dead  body  of  her  husband. 

But  a  truce  to  moralizing,  for  we  are  approaching  the 
Golden  Gate.  I  must  now  pack  up  my  things  and  fin- 
ish my  log.  I  have  stuck  to  it  at  all  hours  and  in  all 
weathers;  jotted  down  little  bits  from  time  to  time  in 
the  intervals  of  sea-sickness,  toothache,  and  tic  doulou- 
reux ;  written  under  a  tropical  burning  sun,  and  amid 
the  drizzle  and  downpour  of  the  North  Pacific ;  but  I 
have  found  pleasure  in  keeping  it  up,  because  I  know 
that  it  will  be  read  with  pleasure  by  those  for  whom  it 
is  written,  and  it  will  serve  to  show  that  amid  all  my 
wanderings  I  have  never  forgotten  the  Old  Folks  at 
Home. 

At  half  past  four  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth  day 
from  our  leaving  Honolulu  we  sighted  the  light-house  at 
the  Golden  Gate,  which  forms  the  entrance  to  the  spa- 
cious bay  or  harbor  of  San  Francisco.  Suddenly  there 
is  a  great  scampering  about  of  the  passengers,  a  general 
packing  up  of  baggage,  a  brushing  of  boots,  hats,  and 
clothes,  and  a  dressing  up  in  shore-going  "togs."  The 


234  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

steward  comes  round  to  look  after  his  perquisites,  and 
every  one  is  in  a  bustle  about  something  or  other. 

I  took  a  last  rest  in  my  bunk — for  it  was  still  early 
morning — until  I  was  told  that  we  were  close  along- 
shore, and  then  I  jumped  up,  went  on  deck,  and  saw 
America  for  the  first  time. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  SA  CRAMENTO.  235 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

SAN   FKANCISCO    TO    SACRAMENTO. 

Landing  at  San  Francisco. — The  Golden  City. — The  Streets. — The  Busi- 
ness Quarter. — The  Chinese  Quarter. — The  Touters. — Leave  San  Fran- 
cisco.— The  Ferry-boat  to  Oakland. — The  Bay  of  San  Francisco. — 
Landing  on  the  Eastern  Shore. — American  Railway  Carriages. — The 
Pullman's  Cars. — Sleeping  Berths. — Unsavory  Chinamen. — The  Coun- 
try.— City  of  Sacramento. 

WE  have  passed  in  from  the  Pacific  through  the 
Golden  Gate,  swung  round  toward  the  south,  and  then, 
along  the  eastern  margin  of  the  peninsula  which  runs  up 
to  form  the  bay,  the  City  of  San  Francisco  lies  before 
me !  A  great  mass  of  houses  and  warehouses,  fronted 
by  a  long  line  of  wharves,  extends  along  the  water's 
edge.  Masses  of  houses,  tipped  with  occasional  towers 
and  spires,  rise  up  on  the  high  ground  behind,  crowning 
the  summits  of  Telegraph,  Eussian,  and  Clay  Street  Hills. 

But  we  have  little  time  to  take  note  of  the  external 
features  of  the  city,  for  we  are  already  alongside  the 
pier.  Long  before  the  gangways  can  be  run  out  and 
laid  between  the  ship  and  the  wharf,  there  is  a  rush  of 
hotel  runners  on  board,  calling  out  the  names  of  their 
respective  hotels  and  distributing  their  cards.  There.^ 
is  a  tremendous  hurry-scurry.  The  touters  make  dashes 
at  the  baggage  and  carry  it  off,  sometimes  in  different 
directions,  each  hoping  to  secure  a  customer  for  his  ho- 
tel. Thus,  in  a  very  few  minutes,  the  ship  was  cleared, 
all  the  passengers  were  bowling  along  toward  their  sev- 


236  ,        HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

eral  destinations,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  found  myself 
safely  deposited  in  "  The  Brooklyn/'  a  fine  large  hotel  in 
Bush  Street,  situated  in  the  business  part  of  the  town, 
with  dwellings  interspersed  among  the  business  houses. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  San  Francisco.  Travel- 
ers have  done  that  over  and  over  again.  Indeed,  there 
is  not  much  about  it  that  is  of  any  great  interest  except 
to  business  men.  One  part  of  the  city  is  very  like  an- 
other. I  was  told  that  some  of  the  finest  buildings  were 
of  the  Italian  order,  but  I  should  say  that  by  far  the 
greater  number  were  of  the  Eamshackle  order.  Al- 
though the  first  house  in  the  place  was  only  built  in  1835, 
the  streets  nearest  to  the  wharves  look  already  old  and 
worn  out,  They  are,  for  the  most  part,  of  wood,  and 
their  paint  is  covered  with  dirt.  But,  though  premature- 
ly old,  they  are  by  no  means  picturesque.  Of  course,  in 
so  large  a  place,  with  a  population  of  150,000,  and  already 
so  rich  and  prosperous  though  so  young,  there  are  many 
fine  buildings  and  some  fine  streets.  The  hotels  carry 
away  the  palm  as  yet,  the  Grand  Hotel  at  the  corner  of 
Market  and  New  Montgomery  Streets  being  the  finest. 
There  are  also  churches,  theatres,  hospitals,  markets,  and 
all  the  other  appurtenances  of  a  great  city. 

I  had  not  for  a  long  time  seen  such  a  bustle  of  traffic 
as  presented  itself  in  the  streets  of  San  Francisco.  The 
whole  place  seemed  to  be  alive.  Foot-passengers  jostled 
each  other ;  drays  and  wagons  were  rolling  about ;  busi- 
ness men  were  clustered  together  in  some  streets,  appa- 
rently "  on  change ;"  with  all  the  accompaniments  of 
noise,  and  bustle,  and  turmoil  of  a  city  full  of  life  and 
traffic.  The  money-brokers'  shops  are  very  numerous 
in  the  two  finest  streets — Montgomery  and  California 


SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  SACRAMENTO.  237 

Streets.  Nearly  every  other  shop  there  belongs  to  a 
money-broker  or  money-changer.  Strange  to  see  the 
piles  of  glistening  gold  in  the  windows — ten  to  twenty 
dollar  pieces,  and  heaps  of  greenbacks. 

John  Chinaman  is  here,  I  see,  in  great  force.  There 
are  said  to  be  as  many  as  30,000  in  the  city  and  neigh- 
borhood. I  wonder  these  people  do  not  breed  a  plague. 
i  went  through  their  quarter  one  evening,  and  was  sur- 
prised and  disgusted  with  what  I  saw.  Chinese  men 
and  women  of  the  lowest  class  were  swarming  in  their 
narrow  alleys.  Looking  down  into  small  cellars,  I  saw 
from  ten  to  fifteen  men  and  women  living  in  places 
which  two  white  men  would  not  sleep  in.  The  adjoin- 
ing streets  smelt  most  abominably.  The  street  I  went 
through  must  be  one  of  the  worst,  and  I  was  afterward 
told  that  it  was  "  dangerous"  to  pass  through  it.  I  ob- 
served a  large  wooden  screen  at  each  end  of  it,  as  if  for 
the  purpose  of  shutting  it.  off  from  the  white  people's 
quarter. 

One  of  the  nuisances  we  had  to  encounter  in  the 
streets  was  that  of  railway"  touters.  No  sooner  did  we 
emerge  from  the  hotel  door  than  men  lying  in  wait 
pounced  upon  us,  offering  tickets  by  this  route,  that 
route,  and  the  other  route  to  New  York.  I  must  have 
had  a  very  "  new-chum"  sort  of  look,  for  I  was  accosted 
no  less  than  three  times  one  evening  by  different  touting 
gentlemen.  One  wished  to  know  if  I  had  come  from 
Sydney,  expressing  his  admiration  of  Australia  general- 
ly. Another  asked  if  I  was  "going  East,"  offering  to 
sell  me  a  through  ticket  at  a  reduced  price.  The  third 
also  introduced  the  Sydney  topic,  telling  me,  by  way  of 
inducement  to  buy  a  ticket  of  him,  that  he  had  "  worked 


238  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

there."  I  shook  them  all  off,  knowing  them  to  be  dan- 
gerous customers.  I  heard  some  strange  stories  of  young 
fellows  making  friends  with  such  strangers,  and  having 
drinks  with  them.  The  drink  is  drugged,  and  the  Syd- 
ney swell,  on  his  way  to  New  York,  finds  himself  next 
morning  in  the  streets,  minus  purse,  watch,  and  every 
thing  of  value  about  him. 

There  is  only  one  railway  route  as  yet  across  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  by  the  Western,  Central,  and  Union 


Pacific,  as  far  as  Omaha,  but  from  that  point  there  are 
various  lines  to  New  York,  and  it  was  to  secure  passen- 
gers by  these  respective  routes  that  the  touters  were  so 
busily  at  work.  All  the  hotels,  bars,  and  stores  are  full 
of  their  advertisements :  "  The  shortest  route  to  the  East" 
—  "Pullman's  Palace  cars  run  on  this  Line"  —  "The 
Route  of  all  Nations"—"  The  Grand  Route,  via  Niagara" 
— such  are  a  few  specimens  of  these  urgent  announce- 
ments. I  decided  to  select  the  route  vid  Chicago,  De- 
troit, Niagara,  and  down  the  Hudson  River  to  New  York, 
and  made  my  arrangements  accordingly. 

I  left  San  Francisco  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  Feb- 


SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  SACRAMENTO. 


239 


ruary.  The  weather  was  cold  compared  with  that  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  yet  there  were  few  signs  of  winter. 
There  was  no  snow  on  the  ground,  and  at  midday  it  was 
agreeable  and  comparatively  mild.  I  knew,  however, 
that  as  soon  as  we  left  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  and  as- 
cended the  western  slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  if  not 
before,  we  should  encounter  thorough  winter  weather, 
and  I  prepared  myself  with  coats  and  wrappers  as  a  de- 
fense from  the  cold. 


My  fellow-voyager  from  New  Zealand,  the  German- 
American  of  whom  I  have  spoken  above,  and  who  seem- 
ed to  take  quite  a  liking  for  me,  accompanied  me  down 
to  the  wharf,  where  we  parted  with  mutual  regret.  It 
was  necessary  for  me  to  cross  the  bay  by  a  ferry-boat  to 
Oakland,  where  the  train  is.  made  up  and  starts  for  Sac- 
ramento. There  was  a  considerable  crowd  round  the 
baggage-office,  where  I  gave  up  my  trunks,  and  obtained, 
in  exchange,  two  small  brass  checks,  which  will  enable 
me  to  reclaim  them  on  the  arrival  of  the  train  at  Omaha. 
I  proceeded  down  the  pier  and  on  to  the  ferry-boat  In- 
deed, I  was  on  it  before  I  was  aware.  It  looked  so  like 


240  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

a  part  of  the  wharf,  and  was  so  surrounded  by  piles  and 
wooden  erections,  that  I  did  not  know  I  was  on  its  deck, 
and  was  inquiring  about  its  arrival  to  take  us  off,  when 
I  found  the  huge  boat  gradually  moving  away  from  the 
pier ! 

It  was  a  regular  American  ferry-boat,  of  the  same 
build  fore  and  aft,  capable  of  going  alike  backward  or 
forward,  and  with  a  long  bridge  at  each  end,  ready  to  be 
let  down  at  the  piers  on  either  side  of  the  bay,  so  as  to 
enable  carts  or  carriages  to  be  driven  directly  on  to  the 
main  deck,  which  was  just  like  a  large  covered  yard, 
standing  level  with  the  wharf.  Over  this  was  an  upper 
deck  with  a  nice  saloon,  where  I  observed  notices  stuck 
up  of  "  No  spitting  allowed,"  showing  that  there  was  a 
greater  consideration  for  ladies  here  than  there  was  on 
board  the  "  Moses  Taylor,"  where  spittle  and  quids  were 
constantly  shooting  about  the  decks,  with  very  little  re- 
gard for  passers-by,  whether  ladies  or  gentlemen. 

Steaming  away  from  the  pier,  we  obtained  a  splendid 
view  of  the  city  behind  us.  The  wharves  along  its  front 
were  crowded  with  shipping  of  all  -sorts,  among  which 
we  could  observe  the  huge  American  three-decker  river 
steamers,  Clyde-built  clippers,  brigs,  schooners,  and  a 
multitude  of  smaller  craft.  Down  the  bay  we  see  the 
green  hills .  rising  in  the  distance,  fading  away  in  the 
gray  of  the  morning.  Close  on  our  left  is  a  pretty  isl- 
and, about  half  way  across  the  bay,  in  the  centre  of  which 
is  a  green  hill — what  seemed  to  Australian  eyes  good 
pasture-land ;  and  I  could  discern  what  I  took  to  be  a 
station  or  farm-house. 

In  about  an  hour  we  found  ourselves  nearing  the  land 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  bay,  where  we  observe  the 


8 A N  FRANCISCO  TO  SA  CEAMENTO.  241 

railway  comes  out  to  meet  us.  The  water  on  this  side 
is  so  shoal  for  a  distance  from  the  shore  that  no  ships  of 
any  considerable  burden  can  float  in  it,  so  that  the  rail- 
way is  carried  out  on  piles  into  the  deep  water  for  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  a  mile.  Here  we  land,  and  get  into  the 
train  waiting  alongside ;  then  the  engine  begins  to  snort, 
and  we  are  away.  As  we  move  off  from  the  waters  of 
San  Francisco  Bay,  I  feel  I  have  made  another  long  stride 
on  the  road  toward  England. 

We  continue  for  some  time  rolling  along  the  rather 
shaky  timber  pier  o"n.  which  the  rails  are  laid.  At  last 
we  reach  the  dry  land,  and  speed  through  Oakland — a 
pretty  town  —  rattling  through  the  streets  just  like  an 
omnibus  or  tramway  car,  ringing  a  bell  to  warn  people 
of  the  approach  of  the  cars.  We  stop  at  nearly  every 
station,  and  the  local  traffic  seems  large.  Farm-land  and 
nice  rolling  country  stretches  away  on  either  side  of  the 
track. 

From  looking  out  of  the  carriage  windows,  I  begin  to 
take  note  of  the  carriage  itself — a  real  American  railway 
carriage.  It  is  a  long  car  with  a  passage  down  the  mid- 
dle. On  each  side  of  this  passage  are  seats  for  two  per- 
sons, facing  the  engine ;  but,  the  backs  being  reversible, 
a  party  of  four  can  sit  as  in  an  English  carriage,  face  to 
face.  At  each  end  of  the  carriage  is  a  stove,  and  a  filter 
of  iced  water.  The  door  at  each  end  leads  out  on  to  a 
platform,  enabling  the  conductor  to  walk  through  the 
train  from  one  end  to  the  other. 

This  arrangement  for  the  conductor,  by  the  way,  is 
rather  a  nuisance.  He  comes  round  six  or  seven  times 
during  the  twenty-four  hours,  often  during  the  night, 
perhaps  at  a  time  when  you  are  trying  to  snatch  a  few 

L 


242  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

minutes'  nap,  and  you  find  your  shoulder  tapped,  and  a 
bull's  eye  turned  full  upon  you,  with  a  demand  for  "  tick- 
ets." This,  however,  is  to  be  avoided  by  affixing  a  little 
card  in  your  hat,  which  the  conductor  gives  you,  so  that 
by  inspection  he  knows  at  once  whether  his  passenger  is 
legitimate  or  not. 

I  did  not  travel  by  one  of  "  Pullman's  Silver  Palace 
Drawing-room  Cars,"  though  I  examined  them,  and  ad- 
mired their  many  comforts.  By  day  they  afford  roomy 
accommodation,  with  ample  space  for  walking  about,  or 
for  playing  at  cards  or  chess  on  the  tables  provided  for 
the  purpose.  At  night  a  double  row  of  comfortable-look- 
ing berths  are  made  up,  a  curtain  being  drawn  along 
their  front  to  render  them  as  private  as  may  be,  and 
leaving  only  a  narrow  passage  along  the  centre  of  the 
c-ar.  At  the  end  of  the  car  are  conveniences  for  wash- 
ing, iced  water,  and  the  never-failing  stove. 

The  use  of  the  sleeping-car  costs  about  three  or  four 
dollars  extra  per  night.  I  avoided  this  expense,  and 
contrived  a  very  good  substitute  in  my  second-class  car. 
Fortunately  we  were  not  very  full  of  passengers ;  and  by 
making  use  of  four  seats,  or  two  benches,  turning  one  of 
the  seat-backs  round,  and  placing  the  seat  bottoms  length- 
wise, I  arranged  a  tolerably  good  sleeping-place  for  the 
night ;  but,  had  the  carriage  been  full,  and  the  occupants 
been  under  the  necessity  of  sitting  up  during  the  six  days 
the  journey  lasted,!  should  imagine  that  it  must  have  be- 
come almost  intolerable  by  the  time  we  reached  Omaha. 

There  were  some  rather  unpleasant  fellow-travelers  in 
my  compartment — several  unsavory  Chinamen,  smoking 
very  bad  tobacco ;  and  other  smoking  gentlemen,  who 
make  the  second-class  compartments  their  rendezvous. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  SACRAMENTO.  243 

But  for  the  thorough  draft  we  obtained  from  time  to 
time  on  the  passage  of  the  conductor,  the  atmosphere 
would  be,  as  indeed  it  often  was,  of  a  very  disagreeable 
character. 

About  forty-two  miles  from  San  Francisco,  I  find  we 
are  already  in  among  the  hills  of  a  range,  and  winding 
in  and  out  through  pretty  valleys,  where  all  available 
land  is  used  for  farming  purposes.  We  round  some 
curves  that  look  almost  impossible,  and  I  begin  to  feel 
the  oscillation  of  the  carriages,  by  no  means  unlike  the 
rolling  of  a  ship  at  sea.  I  often  wished  that  it  had  been 
summer  instead  of  winter,  that  I  might  better  have  en- 
joyed the  beauty  of  the  scenery  as  we  sped  along.  As 
it  was,  I  could  see  that  the  country  must  be  very  fine  un- 
der a  summer  sky.  We  have  met  with  no  snow  at  pres- 
ent, being  still  on  the  suimy  slopes  of  the  Pacific;  nor 
have  we  as  yet  mounted  up  to  any  very  high  elevation. 

We  were  not  long  in  passing  through  the  range  of 
hills  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  then  we  emerged  upon 
the  plains,  which  continued  until  we  reached  Sacramento, 
the  capital  of  the  state.  The  only  town  of  any  impor- 
tance that  we  have  yet  passed  was  Stockton,  a  place 
about  midway  between  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento, 
where  we  now  are.  Down  by  the  river-side  I  see  some 
large  lumber-yards,  indicative  of  a  considerable  timber 
trade.  The  wharves  were  dirty,  as  wharves  generally 
are,  but  they  were  busy  with  traffic.  The  town  seemed 
well  laid  out  in  broad  streets,  the  houses  being  built 
widely  apart,  each  with  its  garden  about  it,  while  long 
lines  of  trees  run  along  most  of  the  streets.  Prominent 
among  the  buildings  is  the  large  new  Senate  House  or 
Capitol,  a  really  grand  feature  of  the  city.  The  place 


244  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

having  been  originally  built  of  wood,  it  has  been  liable 
to  conflagrations,  which  have  more  than  once  nearly  de- 
stroyed it.  Floods  have  also  swept  over  the  valley,  and 
carried  away  large  portions  of  the  town ;  but,  having 
been  rebuilt  on  piles  ten  feet  above  the  original  level,  it 
is  now  believed  to  be  secure  against  injury  from  this 
cause. 

Sacramento  is  the  terminus  of  the  Western  Pacific 
Eailway,  from  which  the  Central  Pacific  extends  east  to- 
ward the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  railway  work-shops  of 
the  Company  are  located  here,  and  occupy  a  large  extent 
of  ground.  They  are  said  to  be  very  complete  and  com- 
.modious. 

Many  of  the  passengers  by  the  train,  whom  we  had 
brought  on  from  San  Francisco  or  picked  up  along  the 
road,  descended  here,  and  I  jvas  very  glad  to  observe 
that  among  them  were  the  Chinamen,  who  relieved  us 
from  their  farther  most  disagreeable  odor.  After  a  short 
stoppage  and  rearrangement  of  the  train,  we  were  off 
again,  toiling  up  the  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada — the 
Switzerland  of  California. 


ACROSS  THE  SIERRA  NEVADA.  245 


CHAPTEK  XXIY. 

ACEOSS    THE    SIEEKA    NEVADA. 

Rapid  Ascent. — The  Trestle-bridges. — Mountain  Prospects. — "  Placers." 
— Sunset. — Cape  Horn. — Alta. — The  Sierras  by  Night. — Contrast  of 
Temperatures. — The  Snow -sheds. — The  Summit. — Reno. — Breakfast 
at  Humboldt. — The  Sage  Brush. — Battle  Mount. — Shoshonie  Indians. 
— Ten-mile  Canon. — Elko  Station. — Great  American  Desert. — Arrival 
at  Ogden. 

WE  had  now  begun  the  ascent  of  the  difficult  moun- 
tain country  that  separates  the  eastern  from  the  western 
states  of  the  Union,  and  through  which  the  Central  Pa- 
cific Railway  has  been  recently  constructed  and  com- 
pleted— one  of  the  greatest  railway  works  of  our  time. 
As  we  advance  the  scenery  changes  rapidly.  Instead  of 
the  flat  and  comparatively  monotonous  country  we  have 
for  some  time  been  passing  through,  we  now  cross  deep 
gullies,  climb  up  steep  ascents,  and  traverse  lovely  val- 
leys. Sometimes  we  seem  to  be  inclosed  in  mountains 
with  an  impenetrable  barrier  before  us ;  but,  rushing 
into  a  tunnel,  we  shortly  emerge  on  the  other  side,  to  find 
ourselves  steaming  along  the  edge  of  a  precipice. 

What  struck  me  very  much  was  the  apparent  slimness 
of  the  trestle-bridges  over  which  we  were  carried  across 
the  gullies,  in  the  bottom  of  which  mountain  torrents 
were  dashing  some  fifty  or  a  hundred  feet  below  us. 
My  first  experience  of  such  a  crossing  was  quite  start- 
ling. I  was  standing  on  the  platform  of  the  last  car, 


246  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

looking  back  at  the  fast  vanishing  scene— *a  winding  val- 
ley shut  in  by  pine-clad  mountains  which  we  had  for 
some  time  been  ascending — when,  glancing  down  on  the 
track,  instead  of  solid  earth,  I  saw  the  ground,  through 
the  open  timbers  of  the  trestle-bridge,  at  least  sixty  feet 
below  me  !  The  timber  road  was  only  the  width  of  the 
single  iron  track,  so  that  any  one  looking  out  of  the  side 
carriage-windows  would  see  sixty  feet  down  into  space. 
The  beams  on  which  the  trestle-bridge  is  supported  are, 
in  some  cases,  rested  on  stone,  but  of tener  they  are  not. 
It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  sensation  first  felt  on  rat- 
tling- over  one  of  these  trembling  viaducts,  with  a  lovely 
view  down  some  mountain  gorge,  and  then,  perhaps,  sud- 
denly plunging  into  a  dark  cutting  on  the  other  side  of 
the  trestle.  But  use  is  every  thing,  and  before  long  I 
got  quite  accustomed  to  the  sensation  of  looking  down 
through  the  open  wood-work  of  the  line  on  to  broken 
ground  and  mountain  torrents  rushing  a  hundred  feet  or 
more  below  me. 

We  left  Sacramento  at  2  P.M.,  and  evening  was  com- 
ing on  as  we  got  into  the  mountains.  Still,  long  before 
sunset  we  saw  many  traces  of  large  "  placers,"  where 
whole  sides  of  the  hills  had  been  dug  out  and  washed 
away  in  the  search  for  gold,  the  water  being  brought 
over  the  hill-tops  by  various  ingenious  methods.  Some- 
times, too,  we  came  upon  signs  of  active  mining,  in  the 
water-courses  led  across  valleys  at  levels  above  us,  con- 
sisting of  wooden  troughs  supported  on  trestles  similar 
to  those  we  are  so  frequently  crossing.  In  one  place  I 
saw  a  party  of  men  busily  at  work  along  the.  mountain 
side,  preparatory  to  letting  the  water  in  upon  the  aurif- 
erous ground  they  were  exploring. 


ACROSS  THE  SIERRA  NEVADA.  247 

I  stood  for  more  than  two  hours  on  the  platform  at 
the  rear  of  the  train,  never  tired  of  watching  the  won- 
derful scenery  that  continually  receded  from  my  gaze — 
sometimes  the  track  suddenly  disappearing  as  we  round- 
ed a  curve,  and  then,  looking  ahead,  I  would  find  that  an 
entirely  new  prospect  was  opening  into  view. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  lovely  scene  that  evening 
when  the  golden  sun  was  setting  far  away  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  The  great  red  orb  sank  slowly  behind  a  low  hill 
at  the  end  of  the  valley  which  stretched  away  on  our 
right  far  beneath  us.  The  pine-trees  shone  red  in  the 
departing  sunlight  for  a  short  time;  then  the  warm, 
dusky  glimmer  gradually  faded  away  on  the  horizon, 
and  all  was  over.  The  scene  now  looked  more  dreary, 
the  mountains  more  rugged,  and  every  thing  more  deso- 
late than  before. 

Up  we  rushed,  still  ascending  the  mountain  slopes, 
winding  in  and  out,  higher  and  higher,  the  mountains 
becoming  more  rugged  and  wild,  and  the  country  more 
broken  and  barren*  looking.  Crossing  slowly  another 
trestle-bridge  seventy-five  feet  high,  at  the  upper  part  of 
a  valley,  we  rounded  a  sharp  curve,  and  found  ourselves 
on  a  lofty  mountain  side  along  which  the  road  is  cut, 
with  a  deep  glen  lying  2500  feet  below  us  wrapped  in 
the  shades  of  evening.  It  seems  to  be  quite  night  down 
there,  and  the  trees  are  so  shrouded  in  gloom  that  I  can 
scarcely  discern  them  in  the  bottom  of  that  awful  chasm. 
I  can  only  clearly  see  defined  against  the  sky  above  me 
the  rugged  masses  of  overhanging  rock,  black-looking 
and  terrible. 

I  find,  on  inquiry,  that  this  part  of  the  road  is  called 
"  Cape  Horn."  The  bluffs  at  this  point  are  so  precipi- 


248  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

tous,  that  when  the  railroad  was  made,  the  workmen  had 
to  be  lowered  down  the  face  of  the  rock  by  ropes,  and 
held  on  by  men  above,  until  they  were  enabled  to  blast 
for  themselves  a  foothold  on  the  side  of  the  precipice. 
We  have  now  ascended  to  a  height  of  nearly  3200  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and,  as  may  be  inferred,  the 
night  air  grows  sharp  and  cold.  As  little  more  can  be 
seen  for  the  present,  I  am  under  the  necessity  of  taking 
shelter  in  the  car. 

At  half  past  six  we  stopped  for  tea  at  Alta,  207  miles 
from  San  Francisco,  at  an  elevation  of  3600  feet  above 
the  sea.  Here  I  had  a  good  meal  for  a  dollar — the  first 
since  leaving  'Frisco.  Had  I  known  of  the  short  stop- 
pages and  the  distant  refreshing-places  along  the  route, 
I  would  certainly  have  provided  myself  with  a  well- 
stored  luncheon-basket  before  setting  out ;  but  it  is  now 
too  late. 

After  a  stoppage  of  twenty  minutes,  the  big  bell  toll- 
ed, and  we  seated  ourselves  in  the  cars  again,  and  away 
we  went  as  before,  still  toiling  up  hill.  We  are  really 
climbing  now.  I  can  hear  it  by  the  strong  snorts  of  the 
engine,  and  see  it  by  the  steepness  of  the  track.  I  long 
to  be  able  to  see  around  me,  for  we  are  passing  some  of 
the  grandest  scenery  of  the  line.  The  stars  are  now 
shining  brightly  overhead,  and  give  light  enough  to  show 
the  patches  of  snow  lying  along  the  mountain  side  as  we 
proceed.  The  snow  becomes  more  continuous  as  we 
mount  the  ascent,  until  only  the  black  rocks  and  pine- 
trees  stand  out  in  relief  against  their  white  background. 

I  was  contrasting  the  sharp  cold  of  this  mountain  re- 
gion with  the  bright  summer  weather  I  had  left  behind 
me  in  Australia  only  a  few  weeks  ago,  and  the  much 


ACROSS  THE  SIERRA  NEVADA.  249 

more  stifling  heat  of  Honolulu  only  some  ten  days  since, 
when  the  engine  gave  one  of  its  loud  whistles,  like  the 
blast  of  a  fog-horn,  and  we  plunged  into  darkness.  Look- 
ing through  the  car  window,  I  observed  that  we  were 
passing  through  a  wooden  frame-work — in  fact,  a  snow- 
shed,  the  roof  sloping  from  the  mountain  side,  to  carry 
safely  over  the  track  the  snow  and  rocky  debris  which 
shoot  down  from  above.  I  find  there  are  miles  upon 
miles  of  these  snow-sheds  along  our  route.  At  the  sum- 
mit we  pass .  through  the  longest,  which  is  1700  feet  in 
length. 

We  reached  the  summit  at  ten  minutes  to  10,  having 
ascended  3400  feet  in  a  distance  of  only  thirty-six  miles. 
We  are  now  over  7000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
traveling  through  a  lofty  mountain  region.  In  the  morn- 
ing I  was  on  the  warm  shores  of  the  Pacific,  and  now, 
at  night,  I  am  amid  the  snows  of  the  Sierras.  After 
passing  the  summit  we  had  some  very  tortuous  traveling ; 
going  very  fast  during  an  hour,  but  winding  in  and  out, 
as  we  did,  following  the  contour  of  the  hills,  I  found 
that  we  had  only  gained  seven  geographical  miles  in  an 
hour.  We  then  reached  the  "  City"  of  Truckee,  princi- 
pally supported  by  lumbering.  It  is  the  last  place  in 
California,  and  we  shall  very  soon  be  across  the  state 
boundary  into  the  Territory  of  Nevada. 

After  passing  this  station  I  curled  up  on  my  bench, 
wrapped  myself  in  my  rugs,  and  had  a  snatch  of  sleep. 
I  was  wakened  up  by  the  stoppage  of  the  train  at  the 
Keno  Station,  when  I  shook  myself  up,  and  went  out  to 
have  a  look  round  me.  As  I  alighted  from  the  train,  I 
had  almost  come  to  the  ground  through  the  slipperiness 
of  the  platform,  which  was  coated  with  ice.  It  was  a 

L2 


250  HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

sharp  frost,  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow.  At 
the  end  of  the  platform,  the  snow  was  piled  up  in  a  drift 
about  twenty  feet  high  on  the  top  of  a  shed  outside  the 
station.  I  find  there  are  two  kinds  of  snow-sheds — one 
sort  used  on  the  plains,  with  pointed  roofs,  from  which 
the  snow  slides  down  on  either  side,  thereby  preventing 
the  blocking  of  the  line ;  the  other,  used  along  the  moun- 
tain sides,  sloping  over  the  track,  so  as  to  carry  the  snow- 
shoots  clear  over  it  down  into  the  valley  below. 

I  soon  turned  in  again,  wrapped  myself  up,  and  slept 
soundly  for  some  hours.  When  1  awoke  it  was  broad 
daylight;  the  sun  was  shining, in  at  the  car  windows; 
and  on  looking  out,  1  saw  that  we  were  crossing  a  broad 
plain,  with  mountains  on  either  side  of  us.  The  con- 
ductor, coming  through  the  car,  informs  us  that  we 
shall  soon  be  at  Humboldt,  where  there  will  be  twenty 
minutes'  stoppage  for  breakfast.  I  find  that  we  are  now 
422  miles  on  our  way,  and  that  during  the  night  we 
have  crossed  the  great  sage-covered  Nevada  Desert,  on 
which  so  many  travelers  left  their  bones  to  bleach  in  the 
days  of  the  overland  journey  to  California,  but  which  is 
now  so  rapidly  and  safely  traversed  by  means  of  this 
railway.  The  train  draws  up  at  Humboldt  at  seven  in 
the  morning,  and  on  descending,  I  find  a  large,  well-ap- 
pointed refreshment-room,  with  the  tables  ready  laid, 
and  a  tempting  array  of  hot  tea  and  coffee,  bacon,  steaks, 
eggs,  and  other  eatables.  "  I  guess"  I  had  my  full  dol- 
lars' worth  out  of  that  Humboldt  establishment — a  "  reg- 
ular square  meal,"  to  quote  the  language  of  the  con- 
ductor. 

We  mount  again,  and  are  off  across  the  high  plains. 
The  sage-brush  is  the  only  vegetation  to  be  seen,  inter- 


ACROSS  THE  SIERRA  NEVADA,  251 

spersed  here  and  there  with  large  beds  of  alkali,  on 
which  not  even  sage-brush  will  grow.  The  sage  country 
extends  from  Wadsworth  to  Battle  Mount  Station,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  two  hundred  miles.  Only  occasionally, 
by  the  river  sides,  near  the  station,  small  patches  of  cul- 
tivated land  are  to  be  seen ;  but,  generally  speaking,  the 
country  is  barren,  and  will  ever  remain  so.  We  are  still 
nearly  5000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  There  is  no 
longer  any  snow  on  the  ground  alongside  us,  but  the 
mountains  within  sight  are  all  covered.  Though  the  day 
is  bright  and  sunshiny,  and  the  inside  of  the  car  warm, 
with  the  stove  always  full  of  blazing  wood  or  coke,  the 
air  outside  is  cold,  sharp,  and  nipping. 

At  Battle  Mount — so  called  because  of  a  severe  en- 
gagement which  occurred  here  some  years  since  between 
the  Indians  and  the  white  settlers — the  plains  begin  to 
narrow,  and  the  mountains  to  close  in  again  upon  the 
track.  Here  I  saw  for  the  first  time  a  number  of  Sho- 
shonie  Indians — the  original  natives  of  the  country — 
their  faces  painted  red,  and  their  coarse  black  hair  hang- 
ing down  over  their  shoulders.  Their  squaws,  who  car- 
ried their  papooses  in  shawls  slung  over  their  backs, 
came  alongside  the  train  to  beg  money  from  the  passen- 
gers. The  Indian  men  seemed  to  be  of  a  very  low  type 
—not  for  a  moment  to  be  compared  with  the  splendid 
Maoris  of  New  Zealand.  The  only  fine  tribe  of  Indians 
left  are  said  to  be  the  Sioux,  and  these  are  fast  dying 
out.  In  the  struggle  of  races  for  life,  savages  nowhere 
seem  to  have  the  slightest  chance  when  they  come  in 
contact  with  what  are  called  "  civilized"  men.  If  they 
are  not  destroyed  by  our  diseases  or  our  drink,  they  are 
by  our  weapons. 


252  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

We  are  now  running  along  the  banks  of  the  sluggish 
Huinboldt  River  up  to  almost  its  source  in  the  mountains 
near  the  head  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  We  cross  the 
winding  river  from  time  to  time  on  trestle-bridges,  and 
soon  we  are  in  among  the  mountains  again,  penetrating 
a  gorge,  where  the  track  is  overhung  by  lofty  bluffs;  and, 
climbing  up  the  heights,  we  shortly  leave  the  river  foam- 
ing in  its  bed  far  beneath  us.  Steeper  and  higher  rise 
the  sides  of  the  gorge,  until  suddenly,  when  we  round  a 
curve  in  the  canon,  I  see  the  Devil's  Peak,  a  large,  jagged 
mass  of  dark  brown  rock,  which,  rising  perpendicularly, 
breaks  up  into  many  points,  the  highest  towering  majes- 
tically to  a  height  of  1400  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
track.  This  is  what  is  called  the  "  Ten-mile  Canon ;" 
and  the  bold  scenery  continues  until  we  emerge  from  the 
top  of  the  gorge.  At  last  we  are  in  the  open  sunlight 
again,  and  shortly  after  we  draw  up  at  the  Elko  Station. 

We  are  now  evidently  drawing  near  a  better-peopled 
district  than  that  we  have  lately  passed  through.  Two 
heavy  stage-coaches  are  drawn  up  alongside  the  track, 
to  take  passengers  to  Hamilton  and  Treasure  City,  in 
the  White  Pine  silver-mining  district,  about  126  miles 
distant.  A  long  team  of  mules  stand  laden  with  goods, 
destined  for  the  diggers  of  the  same  district.  Elko  is 
"  not  much  of  a  place,"  though  I  should  not  wonder  if  it 
is  called  a  "  city"  here.  It  mostly  consists  of  what  in 
Victoria  would  be  called  shanties — huts  built  of  wood 
and  canvas — some  of  the  larger  of  them  being  labeled 
"Saloon,"  "Eating-house,"  "Drug-store,"  "Paint-shop," 
and  such  like.  If  one  might  judge  by  the  number  of 
people  thronging  the  drinking-houses,  the  place  may  be 
pronounced  prosperous. 


ACROSS  THE  SIERRA  NEVADA.  253 

Our  course  now  lies  through  the  valleys,  which  look 
more  fertile,  and  are  certainly  much  more  pleasant  to 
pass  along  than  those  dreary  Nevada  plains.  The  sun 
goes  down  on  my  second  day  in  the  train  as  we  are 
traversing  a  fine  valley  with  rolling  hills  on  either  side. 
The  ground  again  becomes  thickly  covered  with  snow, 
and  I  find  we  are  again  ascending  a  steepish  grade,  ris- 
ing a  thousand  feet  in  a  distance  of  about  ninety  miles, 
where  we  again  reach  a  total  altitude  of  6180  feet  above 
the  sea. 

At  six  next  morning  I  found  we  had  reached  Ogden, 
in  the  Territory  of  Utah.  During  the  night  we  had  pass- 
ed "The  Great  American  Desert,"  extending  over  an 
area  of  sixty  square  miles — an  utterly  blasted  place — 
so  that  I  missed  nothing  by  passing  over  it  wrapped  in 
sleep  and  rugs.  The  country  about  Ogden  is  well  cul- 
tivated and  pleasant  looking.  Ogden  itself  is  a  busy 
place,  being  the  terminus  of  the  Central  Pacific  Bail- 
road,  and  the  junction  for  trains  running  down  to  Salt 
Lake  City.  From  this  point  the  Union  Pacific  com- 
mences, and  runs  eastward  as  far  as  Omaha. 


254  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

ACKOSS   THE   KOCKY   MOUNTAINS. 

Start  by  Train  for  Omaha. — My  Fellow-passengers. — Passage  through  the 
Devil's  Gate. — Weber  Canon.  —  Fantastic  Eocks.  —  "Thousand-mile 
Tree." — Echo  Canon. — More  Trestle-bridges. — Sunset  amid  the  Bluffs. 
— A  Wintry  Night  by  Rail. — Snow-fences  and  Snow-sheds. — Laramie 
City.. — Red  Buttes. — The  Summit  at  Sherman. — Cheyenne  City. — The 
Western  Prairie  in  Winter. — Prairie  Dog  City. — The  Valley  of  the 
Platte.— Grand  Island.— Cross  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte.— Arrival 
in  Omaha. 

I  DECIDED  not  to  break  the  journey  by  visiting  Utah — 
about  which  so  much  has  already  been  written — but  to 
go  straight  on  to  Omaha,  and  I  accordingly  took  my 
place  in  the  train  about  to  start  eastward.  Here  I  en- 
countered quite  a  new  phase  of  American  railroad  soci- 
ety, j  One  of  my  fellow-passengers  was  a  quack  doctor, 
who  contemplated  depositing  himself  in  the  first  popu- 
lous place  he  came  to  on  the  track-side  for  the  purpose 
of  picking  up  some  "  'tarnal  red  cents."  A  colonel  and 
a  corporal  in  the  American  army  were  on  their  way 
home  from  some  post  in  the  Far  West,  where  they  had 
been  to  keep  the  Indians  in  order.  There  were  several 
young  commercial  travelers,  some  lucky  men  returning 
from  the  silver-mines  in  Idaho,  a  steward  of  one  of  the 
Pacific  mail  steamers  returning  to  England,  and  an  iron- 
moulder  with  his  wife  and  child  on  their  way  to  Chicago. 

The  train  soon  started,  and  for  some  miles  we  passed 
through  a  well-cultivated  country,  divided  into  fields  and 


ACROSS  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


255 


orchards,  looking  pretty  even  under  the  thick  snow,  and 
reminding  me  of  the  vales  of  Kent.  But  we  very  soon 
left  the  cultivated  land  behind  us,  and  were  again  in 
among  the  mountain  gorges.  I  got  out  on  to  the  plat- 
form to  look  around  me,  and  though  the  piercing  cold 
rather  chilled  my  pleasure,!  could  not  help  enjoying  the 
wonderful  scenery  that  we  passed  through  during  the 
next  three  hours.  We  are  now  entering  the  Wahsatch 
Mountains  by  the  grand  chasm  called  the  Devil's  Gate. 
We  cross  a  trestle  -  bridge  fifty  feet  above  the  torrent 
which  boils  beneath,  and  through  the  black,  frowning 
rocks  that  guard  the  pass  I  catch  the  last  glimpse  of  the 
open  sunlit  plain  below. 

We  are  now  within  the  wild  Weber  Canon,  and  the 
scene  is  changing  every  moment.  On  the  right  we  pass 
a  most  wonderful  sight,  the  Devil's  Slide.  Two  ridges 
of  gray  rock  stand  some  ten  feet  out  from  the  snow  and 
brushwood,  and  they  run  parallel  to  each  other  for  about 
150  feet,  right  away  up  the  mountain  side.  For  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty-five  miles  we  run  along  the  dark,  deep 
cleft,  the  rocks  assuming  all  sorts  of  fantastic  shapes, 
and  the  River  Weber  running  almost  immediately  be- 
neath us,  fretting  and  raging  against  the  obstacles  in  its 
course.  Sometimes  the  valley  widens  out  a  little,  but 
again  to  force  us  against  a  cliff,  where  the  road  has  been 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  bluff.  In  the  canon  we  pass  a 
pine-tree  standing  close  to  the  track,  with  a  large  board 
hung  upon  it  bearing  the  words  "1000  miles  from  Oma- 
ha." It  is  hence  named  the  "  Thousand-mile  Tree."  We 
have  all  that  long  way  before  us  to  travel  on  this  Union 
Pacific  Railway. 

At  last  we  emerge  from  Weber  Canon  and  pull  up  at 


256  XO  UND  THE  WORLD. 

Echo  City,  a  small  place,  chiefly  inhabited  by  railway 
employes.  We  start  again,  and  are  soon  plunged  amid 
red,  rocky  bluffs,  more  fantastic  than  any  we  have  yet 
passed.  We  pass  the  Mormon  fortifications  at  a  place 
where  a  precipitous  rock  overhangs  tfre  narrowing  canon. 
Here,  on  the  top.  of  the  rock,  a  thousand  feet  above  us, 
are. piled  huge  stones,  placed  close  to  the  brink  of  the 
precipice,  once  ready  to  be  hurled  down  upon  the  foes 
of  Mormonism — the  army  sent  out  against  them  in  1857. 
The  stones  were  never  used,  and  are  to  be  seen  there  yet. 
The  rocks  in  the  canon  are  of  a  different  color  from  those 
we  passed  an  hour  ago.  The  shapes  that  they  take  are 
wonderful.  Now  I  could  fancy  that  I  saw  a  beautiful 
cathedral,  with  spires  and  windows ;  then  a  castle,  bat- 
tlements and  bastions  all  complete ;  and  more  than  one 
amphitheatre  fit  for  a  Csesar  to  have  held  his  sports  in. 
What  could  be  more  striking  than  these  great  rugged 
masses  of  red  rock,  thrown  one  upon  another,  and  mount- 
ing up  so  high  above  us  ?  Such  fantastical  and  curious 
shapes  tho-  weather-worn  stone  had  taken !  Pillars,  col- 
umns, domes,  arches,  followed  one  another  in  quick  suc- 
cession. Rounding  a  corner,  a  huge  circle  of  rocks  comes 
into  sight,  rising  story  upon  story.  There,  perched  upon 
the  top  of  the  rising  ground  is  a  natural  castle,  complete 
with  gateway  and  windows.  Indeed,  the  hour  passed 
quickly  in  spite  of  the  cold,  and  I  felt  myself  to  have 
been  in  fairy-land  for  the  time.  The  whole  seemed  to 
be  some  wild  dream.  But  dream  it  could  not  be.  There 
was  the  magnificence  of  the  solid  reality — pile  upon  pile 
of  the  solid  rock  frowning  down  upon  me ;  great  boul- 
ders thrown  together  by  some  giant  force ;  perpendicu- 
lar heights,  time-worn  and  battered  by  the  elements.  All 


A CHOSS  THE  ROCKY  MO UNTAINS.  257 

combined  to  produce  in  me  a  feeling  of  the  utmost  won- 
der and  astonishment. 

Emerging  from  Echo  Canon  .and  the  Castle  Rocks,  we 
enter  a  milder  valley,  where  we  crawl  over  a  trestle- 
bridge  450  feet  long  and  75  feet  high.  Shortly  after 
passing  Wahsatch  Station  we  cross  the  Aspen  Summit 
and  reach  an  opener  country.  Since  we  left  Ogden,  we 
have,  in  a  distance  of  ninety-three  miles,  climbed  an  as- 
cent of  2500  feet,  and  are  now  in  a  region  of  frost  and 
snow.  After  another  hour's  traveling  the  character  of 
the  scenery  again  changes,  and  it  becomes  more  rugged 
and  broken.  The  line  crosses  the  Bear  River  on  another 
long  trestle-bridge  600  feet  long,  and,  following  the  val- 
ley, we  then  strike  across  the  higher  ground  to  the  head 
of  Ham's  Fork,  down  which  we  descend,  following  the 
valley  as  far  as  Bryan  or  Black's  Fork,  171  miles  from 
Ogden. 

As  the  day  is  drawing  to  a  close,  I  take  a  last  look 
upon  the  scene  outside  before  turning  in  for  the  night. 
The  sun  is  setting  in  the  west,  illuminating  with  its  last 
rays  the  red  sandstone  bluffs,  the  light  contrasting  with 
the  deep  blue  sky  overhead,  and  presenting  a  novel  and 
beautiful  effect.  We  are  now  traversing  a  rolling  des- 
ert, sometimes  whirling  round  a  bluff  in  our  rapid  de- 
scent, or  crossing  a  dry  water-course  on  trestles,  the  feat- 
ures of  the  scene  every  moment  changing.  Then  I  would 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  broken,  rolling  prairies  in  the  dis- 
tance, covered  with  snow,  and  anon  we  were  rounding 
another  precipitous  bluff.  The  red  of  the  sunlight  grows 
dull  against  the  blue  sky,  until  night  gradually  wraps 
the  scene  in  her  mantle  of  gray.  Then  the  moon  comes 
out  with  her  silvery  light,  and  reveals  new  features  of 


258  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

wondrous  wildness  and  beauty.  I  stood  for  hours  lean- 
ing on  the  rail  of  the  car,  gazing  at  the  fascinating  vi- 
sion, and  was  only  reminded  by  the  growing  coldness  of 
.  the  night  that  it  was  time  to  re-enter  the  car  and  prepare 
for  my  night'-s  rest. 

After  warming  myself  by  the  stove,  I  arranged  my  ex- 
temporized couch  between  the  seats  as  before,  but  was 
wakened  up  by  the  conductor,  who  took  from  me  a  cush- 
ion more  than  was  my  due ;  so  I  had  to  spend  the  rest 
of  the  night  nodding  on  a  box  at  the  end  of  the  car. 
However,  even  the  longest  and  most  comfortless  night 
will  come  to  an  end ;  and  when  at  last  the  morning  broke, 
I  went  out  to  ascertain  whereabouts  we  were.  I  found 
that  it  had  snowed  heavily  during  the  night,  and  we  now 
seemed  to  be  in  a  much  colder  and  more  desolate  coun- 
try. The  wind  felt  dreadfully  keen  as  I  stood  on  the 
car  platform  and  looked  about,  the  dry  snow  whisking 
up  from  the  track  as  the  train  rushed  along.  The  fine 
particles  somehow  got  inside  the  thickest  comforter  and 
wrapper,  and  penetrated  every  where.  So  light  and  fine 
were  the  particles  that  they  seemed  to  be  like  thick  hoar- 
frost blowing  through  the  air. 

We  have,  I  observe,  a  snow-plow  fixed  on  the  front  of 
the  engine,  and,  from  the  look  of  the  weather,  it  would 
appear  as  if  we  should  have  abundant  use  for  it  yet. 
Snow-fences  and  snow-sheds  are  numerous  along  the 
line  we  are  traversing,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the 
cuts  being  drifted  up  by  the  snow.  At  first  I  could  not 
quite  make  out  the  nature  of  these  fences,  standing  about 
ten  yards  from  the  track,  and  in  some  parts  extending 
for  miles.  They  are  constructed  of  wood-work,  and  are 
so  made  as  to  be  capable  of  being  moved  from  place  to 


A  CROSS  THE  ROCKY  MO UNTAIXS.  259 

place,  according  as  the  snow  falls  thick  or  is  drifting. 
That  is  where  the  road  is  on  a  level,  with  perhaps  an 
opening,  amid  the  rolling  hills  on  one  side  or  the  other ; 
but  when  we  pass  through  a  cutting  we  are  protected  by 
a  snow-shed,  usually  built  of  boards  supported  on  poles. 

At  Laramie  City  we  stop  for  breakfast.  The  name  of 
"  city"  is  given  to  several  little  collections  of  houses  along 
the  line.  I  observe  that  the  writer  of  the  "  Trans-conti- 
nental Guide-book"  goes  almost  into  fits  when  describing 
the  glories  of  these  "  cities,"  which,  when  we  come  up  to 
them,  prove  to  be  little  more  than  so  many  clusters  of 
sheds.  I  was  not,  therefore,  prepared  to  expect  much 
from  the  City  of  Laramie,  and  the  more  so  as  I  knew 
that  but  a  few  years  since  the  original  Fort  Laramie  con- 
sisted of  only  a  quadrangular-  inclosure  inhabited  by  trap- 
pers, who  had  established  it  for  trading  purposes  with  the 
Indians.  I  was  accordingly  somewhat  surprised  to  find 
that  the  modern  Laramie  had  suddenly  shot  up  into  a 
place  of  some  population  and  importance.  The  streets 
are  broad  and  well  laid  out;  the  houses  are  numerous, 
and  some  of  them  large  and  substantial.  The  place  is 
already  provided  with  schools,  hotels,  banks,  and  a  news- 
paper. The  Eailway  Company  have  some  good  substan- 
tial shops  here,  built  of  stone ; .  and  they  have  also  pro- 
vided a  very  commodious  hospital  for  the  use  of  their 
employe's  when  injured  or  sick — an  example  that  might 
be  followed  with  advantage  in  places  of  even  greater 
importance. 

After  a  stoppage  of  about  half  an  hour  we  were  again 
careering  up  hfll  past  Fort  Saunders  and  the  Eed  Buttes, 
the  latter  so  called  from  the  bold  red  sandstone  bluffs,  in 
some  places  a  thousand  feet  high,  which  bound  the  track 


260  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 

on  our  right.  Then  still  up  hill  to  Harney,  beyond  which 
we  cross  Dale  Creek  bridge — a  wonderful  structure,  650 
feet  long  and  126  feet  high,  spanning  the  creek  from 
bluff  to  bluff.  Looking  down  through  the  interstices  of 
the  wooden  road,  what  a  distance  the  thread  of  water  in 
the  hollow  seemed  to  be  below  us ! 

At  Sherman,  some  two  hours  from  Laramie,  we  ar- 
rived at  the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  ridge,  where 
we  reached  the  altitude  of  about  8400  feet  above  the  sea- 
level.  Of  course  it  was  very  cold,  hill  and  dale  being- 
covered  with  snow  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Now 
we  rush  rapidly  down  hill,  the  breaks  screwed  tightly 
down,  the  cars  whizzing  round  the  curves,  and  making 
the  snow  fly  past  in  clouds.  We  have  now  crossed  the 
back-bone  of  the  continent,  and  are  speeding  on  toward 
the  settled  and  populous  country  in  the  East. 

At  Cheyenne  we  have  another  stoppage  for  refresh- 
ment. This  is  one  of  the  cities  with  which  our  guide- 
book writer  falls  into  ecstasies.  It  is  "  The  Magic  City 
of  the  Plains" — a  place  of  which  it  "  requires  neither  a 
prophet  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet  to  enumerate  its  re- 
sources or  predict  its  future !"  Yet  Cheyenne  is  already 
a  place  of  importance,  and  likely  to  become  still  more  so, 
being  situated  at  the  junction  with  the  line  to  Denver, 
which  runs  along  the  rich  and  lovely  valley  of  the  Col- 
orado. Its  population  of  8000  seems  very  large  for  a 
place  that  so  short  a  time  ago  was  merely  the  haunt  of 
Red  Indians.  Alr-eady  it  has  manufactories,  warehouses, 
wharves,  and  stores  of  considerable  magnitude,  with  all 
the  usual  appurtenances  of  a  place  of  traffic  and  busi- 
ness. 

Before  leaving  Cheyenne  I  invested  in  some  hung  buf- 


ACROSS  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  261 

falo  steak  for  consumption  at  intervals  between  meals. 
It  is  rather  tough  and  salt,  something  like  Hamburg 
beef ;  but,  seasoned  with  hunger,  and  with  the  appetite 
sharpened  by  the  cold  and  frost  of  these  high  regions, 
the  hung  buffalo  proved  useful  and  nutritious. 

For  several  hundred  miles  our  track  lay  across  the 
prairie  —  monotonous  and  comparatively  uninteresting 
now  in  its  covering  of  white,  but  in  early  summer  clad 
in  lively  green  and  carpeted  with  flowers.  I  read  that 
this  fine,  cultivable,  well-watered  country  extends  seven 
hundred  miles  north  and  south,  along  the  eastern  base  of 
the  Eocky  Mountains,  with  an  average  width  of  two  hun- 
dred miles.  It  is  said  to  be  among  the  finest  grazing 
land  in  the  world,  with  pasturage  for  millions  of  cattle 
and  sheep. 

Shortly  after  passing  Antelope  Station  the  track  skirts 
the  "Prairie  Dog  City,"  which  I  knew  at  once  by  its 
singular  appearance.  It  consists  of  hundreds  of  little 
mounds  of  soil,  raised  about  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the 
ground.  There  were,  however,  no  dogs  about  at  the  time. 
The  biting  cold  had  doubtless  sent  them  within  doors. 
Indeed,  I  saw  no  wild  animals  on  my  journey  across  the 
continent  excepting  only  some  black  antelopes  with 
white  faces  that  I  saw  on  the  plains  near  this  Prairie 
Dog  City. 

For  a  distance  of  more  than  five  hundred  miles — from 
leaving  Cheyenne  until  our  arrival  in  Omaha — the  rail- 
way held  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Lodge  Pole  Creek, 
then  along  the  South  Fork  or  Platte  River,  and  finally 
along  the  main  Platte  River  down  to  near  its  junction 
with  the  Missouri.  When  I  went  to  sleep  on  the  night 
of  the  llth  of  February — my  fourth  night  in  the  railway 


262  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

train — we  were  traveling  through  the  level  prairie,  and 
when  I  woke  up  on  the  following  morning  I  found  we 
were  on  the  prairie  still. 

At  seven  in  the  morning  we  halted  at  the  station  of 
Grand  Island,  so  called  from  the  largest  island  in  the 
Platte  River,  near  at  hand.  Here  I  had  breakfast,  and  a 
good  wash  in  ice-cold  water.  Although  the  snow  is  heav- 
ier than  ever,  the  climate  seems  already  milder ;  yet  it  is 
very  different  indeed  from  the  sweltering  heat  of  Hono- 
lulu only  some  twelve  days  ago.  At  about  10  A.M.  we 
bid  adieu  to  the  uninhabited  prairie — though  doubtless, 
before  many  years  are  over,  it  will  be  covered  with  farms 
and  homesteads — and  approached  the  fringe  of  the  set- 
tled country,  patches  of  cultivated  land  and  the  log  huts 
of  the  settlers  beginning  to  show  themselves  here  and 
there  alongside  the  track. 

Some  eighty  miles  from  Omaha  we  cross  the  north 
fork  of  the  Platte  River  over  one  of  the  usual  long  tim- 
ber bridges  on  piles,  and  continue  to  skirt  the  north  bank 
of  the  Great  Platte,  certainly  a  very  remarkable  river, 
being  in  some  places  three  quarters  of  a  mile  broad,  with 
an  average  depth  of  only  six  inches !  At  length,  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  fifth  day,  the  engine  gives  a  low  whistle, 
and  we  find  ourselves  gliding  into  the  station  at  Omaha. 


OMAHA  TO  CHICAGO.  263 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 

OMAHA     TO     CHICAGO. 

Omaha  Terminus.— Cross  the  Missouri.— Council  Bluffs. — The  Forest. — 
Cross  the  Mississippi. — The  cultivated  Prairie. — The  Farmsteads  and 
Villages. — Approach  to  Chicago. — The  City  of  Chicago. — Enterprise 
of  its  Men. — The  Water  Tunnels  under  Lake  Michigan.— Tunnels  un- 
der the  River  Chicago. — Union  of  Lake  Michigan  with  the  Mississippi. 
— Description  of  the  Streets  and  Buildings  of  Chicago. — Pigs  and  Corn. 
— The  Avenue. — Sleighing. — Theatres  and  Churches. 

I  HAVE  not  much  to  tell  about  Omaha,  for  I  did  not 
make  any  long  stay  in  the  place,  being  anxious  to  get  on 
and  finish  my  journey.  It  was  now  my  fifth  day  in  the 
train,  having  come  a  distance  of  1912  miles  from  San 
Francisco,  and  I  had  still  another  twenty -four  hours' 
travel  before  me  to  Chicago.  There  was  nothing  to  de- 
tain me  in  Omaha.  It  is  like  all  places  suddenly  made 
by  a  railway,  full  of  bustle  and  business,  but  by  no 
means  picturesque.  How  can  it  be  ?  The  city  is  only 
seventeen  years  old.  Its  principal  buildings  are  manu- 
factories, breweries,  warehouses,  and  hotels. 

Omaha  has  been  made  by  the  fact  of  its  having  been 
fixed  upon  as  the  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road, and  by  its  convenient  position  on  the  great  Mis- 
souri River.  It  occupies  a  sloping  upland  on  the  right 
bank,  about  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  stream,  and 
behind  it  stretches  the  great  prairie  country  we  have 
just  traversed.  On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Missouri 


264 


ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


stands  Council  Bluffs,  from  which  various  railroad  lines 
diverge  north,  south,  and  east,  to  all  parts  of  the  Union. 
It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  before  many  years  have 
passed,  big  though  Omaha  may  now  be — and  it  already 
contains  20,000  inhabitants — the  advantages  of  its  posi- 
tion will  tend  greatly  to  swell  its  population,  and  per- 
haps to  render  It,  in  course  of  time,  one  of  the  biggest 
cities  of  the  West. 

Having  arranged  to  proceed  onward  to  Chicago  by 
the  Northwestern  line,  I  gave  up  my  baggage  in  ex- 


change for  the  usual  check,  and  took  my  place  in  the 
train.  We  rolled  down  a  steepish  incline  on  to  the 
"  mighty  Missouri,"  which  we  crossed  upon  a  bridge  of 
boats.  I  should  not  have  known  that  I  was  upon  a  deep 
and  rapid  river  but  for  the  huge  flat-bottomed  boats  that 
I  saw  lying  frozen  in  along  the  banks.  It  was  easy  to 
mistake  the  enormous  breadth  of  ice  for  a  wide  field 
covered  with  snow.  As  we  proceeded  across  we  met 
numbers  of  sledges,  coaches,  and  omnibuses  driving  over 
the  ice  along  a  track  made  in  the  deep  snow  not  far 
from  our  bridge. 


OMAHA  TO  CHICAGO.  265 

After  passing  through  Council  Bluffs  we  soon  lost 
sight  of  the  town  and  its  suburbs,  and  were  again  in  the 
country.  But  how  different  the  prospect  from  the  car 
window,  compared  with  the  bare  and  unsettled  prairies 
which  we  had  traversed  for  so  many  hundred  miles  west 
of  Omaha !  Now,  thick  woods  extend  on  both  sides  of 
the  track,  with  an  occasional  cleared  space  for  a  town- 
ship, where  we  stop  to  take  up  and  set  down  passengers. 
Biit  I  shall  not  proceed  farther  with  my  description  of 
winter  scenery  as  viewed  from  a  passing  railway  train. 


Indeed,  I  fear  that  my  descriptions  heretofore,  though 
rapid,  must  be  felt  somewhat  monotonous,  for  which  I 
crave  the  reader's  forgiveness. 

I  spent  my  fifth  night  in  the  train  pretty  comfortably, 
having  contrived  to  make  up  a  tolerable  berth.  Shortly 
after  I  awoke  we  crossed  the  Mississippi  on  a  splendid 
bridge  at  Fulton.  What  a  noble  river  it  is !  Here,  where 
it  must  be  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth,  it  seem- 
ed to  me  not  less  than  a  mile  across.  Like  the  Missouri, 
however,  it  is ,  now  completely  frozen  over  and  covered 
with  thick  snow. 

M 


266  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

We  are  again  passing  through  a  prairie  country,  the 
fertile  land  of  upper  Illinois,  all  well  settled  and  culti- 
vated. We  pass  a  succession  of  fine  farms  and  farm- 
steads. The  fields  are  divided  by  rail  fences,  and  in 
some  places  stalks  of  maize  peep  up  through  the  snow. 
The  pretty  wooden  houses  are  occasionally  half  hidden 
by  the  snow-laden  trees  amid  which  they  stand.  These 
Illinois  clusters  of  country  houses  remind  one  very  much 
of  England,  they  look  so  snug  and  home-like ;  and  they 
occupy  a  gently  undulating  country — lovely,  no  doubt, 
in  summer  time.  But  the  small  towns  we  passed  could 
never  be  mistaken  for  English.  They  are  laid  out  quite 
regularly,  each  house  with  its  little  garden  surrounding 
it,  the  broad  streets  being  planted  with  avenues  of  trees. 

The  snow  is  lying  very  heavy  on  the  ground,  and 
there  are  drifts  we  pass  through  full  twenty  feet  deep 
on  either  side  of  the  road.  But  the  day  is  fine,  the  sky 
is  clear  and  blue,  the  sun  shines  brightly,  and  the  whole 
scene  looks '  much  more  cheerful  than  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain region  in  the  west. 

Very  shortly,  evidences  appear  of  our  approach  to  a 
considerable  place ;  in  fact,  we  are  nearing  Chicago.  But 
long  before  we  reach  it  we  pass  a  succession-  of  pretty 
villas  and  country  houses,  quite  in  the  English  suburban 
style,  with  gardens,  shrubberies,  and  hot-houses.  These 
are  the  residences  of  the  Chicago  merchants.  The  houses 
become  more  numerous,  and  before  long  we  are  cross- 
ing streets  and  thoroughfares,  the  engine  snorting  slowly 
along,  and  the  great  bell  ringing  to  warn  all  foot-passen- 
gers off  the  track. 

What  an  immense  smoky  place  we  have  entered,  so 
different  from  the  pure  snow-white  prairie  country  we 


OMAHA  TO  CHICAGO.  267 

have  passed !  It  looks  just  like  another  Manchester. 
Bat  I  suspect  we  have  as  yet  traversed  only  the  manu- 
facturing part  of  the  city,  as  the  only  buildings  hereto- 
fore visible  are  small  dwelling-houses  and  manufac- 
tories. At  length  we  pull  up  in  the  station,  and  find 
ourselves  safely  landed  in  Chicago. 

Oh,  the  luxury  of  a  good  wash  after  a  continuous  jour- 
ney of  two  thousand  four  hundred  miles  by  rail !  What 
a  blessing  cold  water  is,  did  we  but  know  it.  The  lux- 
ury, also,  of  taking  off  one's  clothes  to  sleep  in  a  bed 
after  'five  nights'  rolling  about  in  railway  cars — that, 
also,  is  a  thing  to  be  enjoyed  once  in  a  lifetime !  But, 
for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure,  I  confess  I  have  no  particu- 
lar desire  to  repeat  the  process. 

And  now  for  the  wonders  of  Chicago.  It  is  really  a 
place  worth  going  a  long  way  to  see.  It  exhibits  the 
enterprise  of  the  American  people  in  its  most  striking 
light.  Such  immense  blocks  of  buildings  forming  fine 
broad  streets,  such  magnificent  wharves  and  warehouses, 
such  splendid  shops,  such  handsome  churches,  and  such 
elegant  public  buildings!  One  can  scarcely  believe 
that  all  this  has  been  the  work  of  little  more  than  thirty 
years. 

It  is  true,  the  situation  of  Chicago  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Michigan,  with  a  great  fertile  country  behind  it,  has 
done  much  for  the  place,  but  without  the  men  Chicago 
would  have  been  nothing.  It  is  human  industry  and 
energy  that  have  made  it  what  it  is.  Nothing  seems 
too  bold  or  difficult  for  the  enterprise  of  Chicago  men. 
One  of  their  most  daring  but  successful  feats  was  in  al- 
tering the  foundation  level  of  the  city.  It  was  found 
that  the  business  quarter  was  laid  too  low — that  it  was 


268  HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

damp,  and  could  not  be  properly  drained.  It  was  de- 
termined to  raise  the  whole  quarter  bodily  from  six  to 
eight  feet  higher !  And  the  extraordinary  feat  was  ac- 
complished, with  the  help  of  jack-screws,  safely  and  sat- 
isfactorily. 

With  the  growth  of  population — and  its  increase  was 
most  rapid  (from  4000  persons  in  1837  to  about  350,000 
at  the  present  time) — the  difficulty  of  obtaining  pure 
water  steadily  increased.  There  was  pure  water  enough 
in  the  lake  outside,  but  along  shore  it  was  so  polluted  by 
the  sewage  that  it  could  not  be  used  with  safety."  Two 
methods  were  adopted  to  remedy  this  evil.  One  was,  to 
make  Artesian  wells  700  feet  deep,  which  yield  *about  a 
million  gallons  of  pure  water  per  day;  but  another,  and 
much  bolder  scheme,  was  undertaken,  that  of  carrying  a 
tunnel  under  the  bed  of  the  lake,  two  miles  out,  into  per- 
fectly pure  water,  and  this  work  was  successfully  accom- 
plished and  completed  on  the  25th  of  March,  1867,  when 
the  water  was  let  into  the  tunnel  to  flow  through  the 
pipes  and  quadrants  of  the  city.  Thus  57  million  gal- 
lons of  water  per  day  could  be  supplied  to  the  inhab- 
itants. 

Another  important  and  daring  work  was  that  involved 
in  carrying  the  traffic  of  the  streets  from  one  side  of  the 
Chicago  Biver  (which  flows  through  the  city)  to  the  oth- 
er without  the  interference  of  bridges.  This  was  ac- 
complished by  means  of  tunnels  constructed  beneath  the 
bed  of  the  river.  The  first  tunnel  was  carried  across 
from  Washington  Street  to  the  other  side  some  years 
since ;  it  was  arched  with  brick,  floored  with  timber,  and 
lighted  with  gas.  The  second,  lower  down  the  same 
river,  was  still  in  progress  at  the  period  of  my  visit  to 


OMAHA  TO  CHICAGO.  269 

the  city  in  March  last  (1871),  and  is  not  yet  completed. 
By  means  of  these  tunnels  the  traffic  of  the  streets  will  be 
sufficiently  accommodated,  without  any  interruption  by 
the  traffic  of  the  river,  large  ships  proceeding  directly  up 
to  the  wharves  above  to  load  and  unload  their  cargoes. 

But  the  boldest  project  of  all  remains  to  be  mention- 
ed. It  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  the  cutting  down 
of  the  limestone  ridge  which  intervenes  between  the 
head  waters  of  the  River  Chicago  and  those  of  the  River 
Illinois,  which  flows  into  the  Mississippi.  The  water- 
supply  being  still  found  insufficient,  the  carrying  out  of 
a  second  tunnel  into  deep  water  under  the  bed  of  the 
lake  was  projected.  It  then  occurred  to  the  Chicago 
engineers  that  a  more  simple  method  would  be,  instead 
of  going  out  into  the  lake  for  the  pure  water,  to  make 
the  pure  water  come  to  them.  The  sewage-laden  stream 
of  the  Chicago  River  now  flowed  north  into  the  lake; 
would  it  not  be  practicable,  by  cutting  down  the  level 
inland,  to  make  it  flow  south,  and  thus  bring  the  pure 
water  of  the  lake  in  an  abundant  stream  past  their  very 
doors  ? 

This  scheme  has  actually  been  carried  out!  The 
work  was  in  progress  while  I  was  there,  and  I  observe 
that  it  has  since  been  completed.  The  limestone  plateau 
to  the  south  of  Chicago  has  been  cut  down  at  a  cost  of 
about  three  millions  of  dollars,  and  an  abundant  supply 
of  pure  wrater  has  thus  been  secured  to  the  town  forever. 
But  the  cutting  of  this  artificial  river  for  the  purpose  of 
water-supply  has  opened  up  another  and  a  much  larger 
question.  It  is,  whether,  by  sufficiently  deepening  the 
bed,  a  channel  may  not  be  formed  for  large  ocean-going 
ships,  so  that  Chicago  may  be  placed  in  direct  water 


270  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

communication  with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  it  now  is 
with  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Should  this  project, 
which  was  freely  spoken  of  when  I  was  at  Chicago,  be 
carried  out,  it  may  lead  to  very  important  consequences. 
While  it  may  have  the  effect  of  greatly  promoting  the 
prosperity  of  Chicago,  it  may  also  have  an  altogether 
different  result.  "  The  letting  out  of  waters"  is  not  al- 
ways a  safe  thing;  and  the  turning  of  the  stream,  or 
any  considerable  part  of  the  stream  which  now  passes 
over  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  into  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi 
— whose  swollen  waters  are  sometimes  found  sufficiently 
unmanageable  as  it  is — might  have  a  very  extraordinary 
and  even  startling  effect  upon  the  low-lying  regions  at 
the  mouth  of  that  great  river.  But  this  is  a  point  that 
must  be  left  for  geologists  and  engineers  to  speculate 
about  and  to  settle. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Chicago  I  went  out  for  a 
wander  in  the  streets.  I  was  accompanied  by  the  hotel 
"  tout,"  who  soon  gave  me  his  history.  He  had  been  a 
captain  in  the  English  army,  had  run  through  all  his 
money,  and  come  here  to  make  more.  He  had  many 
reminiscences  to  relate  of  his  huntings  in  Leicestershire, 
of  his  life  in  the  army,  of  his  foolish  gamblings,  of  his 
ups  and  downs  in  America,  and  his  present  prospects. 
Nothing  daunted  by  his  mishaps,  he  was  still  full  of  hope. 
He  was  an  agent  for  railways,  agent  for  a  billiard-table 
manufacturer  and  for  several  patents,  and  believed  he 
should  soon  be  a  rich  man  again.  But  no  one,  he  said, 
had  any  chance  in  Chicago  unless  he  was  prepared  to 
work,  and  to  work  hard.  "  A  man,"  he  observed, "  must 
have  his  eyes  peeled  to  make  money;  as  for  the  lazy 
man,  he  hasn't  the  ghost  of  a  chance  here." 


OMAHA  TO  CHICAGO.  271 

My  guide  took  me  along  the  principal  streets,  which 
were  full  of  traffic  and  bustle,  the  men  evidently  intent 
upon  business,  pushing  on,  looking  neither  to  the  right 
hand  nor  the  left.  The  streets  are  mostly  stone-paved, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  heavy  snow  which  has  fallen,  they 
are  clean  and  well  kept.  We  passed  the  City  Hall,  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  Post-office  —  all  fine 
buildings.  In  the  principal  streets  the  houses  are  five 
stories  high,  with  handsome  marble  fronts.  The  office 
of  the  "  Chicago  Tribune,"  situated  at  the  corner  of  one 
of  the  chief  thoroughfares,  is  a  splendid  pile,  with  a  spa- 
cious corner  entrance.  The  Potter  Palmer  block,  chiefly 
occupied  as  a  gigantic  draper's  shop — here  called  a  Dry 
Goods  Store — is  an  immense  pile  of  buildings,  with  mass- 
ive marble  front  handsomely  carved.  But  the  building 
which  promises  shortly  to  overtop  all  others  in  Chicago 
is  the  Pacific  Hotel,  now  in  course  of  erection — an  enor- 
mous structure,  covering  an  acre  and  a  half  of  ground, 
with  a  frontage  of  325  feet,  and  a  height  of  104  feet.  It 
is  expected  to  be  the  largest  and  finest  building  in  the 
city,  until  something  else  is  projected  to  surpass  and  ex- 
cel it. 

In  my  progress  through  the  streets  I  came  upon  two 
huge  steam  cranes  at  work,  hoisting  up  stuff  from  a  great 
depth  below.  I  was  told  that  this  was  the  second  tun- 
nel in  course  of  construction  under  the  bed  of  the  river 
to  enable  the  traffic  to  pass  across  without  the  necessity 
for  bridges.  The  stream  over  the  tunnel  was  busy  with 
shipping.  In  one  street  I  passed  a  huge  pile  of  dead 
pigs  in  front  of  a  sausage  shop.  They  go  in  pigs  and 
come  out  sausages.  Pork  is  one  of  the  great  staples  of 
the  place,  the  number  of  pigs  slaughtered  in  Chicago^be- 


272  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

ing  something  enormous.  The  pig-butcheries  and  pork 
stores  are  among  the  largest  buildings  in  the  city.  My 
guide  assures  me  that  at  least  a  pig  a  second  is  killed  and 
dressed  in  Chicago  all  the  year  through.  Another  street 
was  occupied  by  large  stores  of  grain,  fruit,  and  produce 
of  all  kinds.  The  pathways  were  filled  with  farmers 
and  grain-brokers,  settling  bargains  and  doing  business. 
And  yet  it  was  not  market-day,  when  the  streets  are  far 
more  crowded  and  full  of  bustle. 

Some  idea  of  the  enormous  amount  of  business  in 
grain  done  in  Chicago  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that 
in  one  year,  1868,  sixty-eight  million  bushels  of  grain 
were  shipped  from  its  wharves.  It  is  the  centre  of  the 
grain-trade  of  the  States ;  lines  of  railway  concentre  upon 
it  from  all  parts  of  the  interior ;  and,  by  means  of  ship- 
ping, the  produce  is  exported  to  the  Eastern  States,  to 
Great  Britain,  or  to  any  other  part  of  the  world  where  it 
is  needed. 

The  street-cars  go  jingling  along  with  their  heavy 
loads  of  passengers.  A  continual  stream  of  people  keeps 
coming  and  going.  There  are  many  young  ladies  afoot, 
doing  their  shopping,  enveloped  in  furs,  and  some  with 
white  scarves  —  or  "  clouds"  as  they  are  called  —  round 
their  heads.  Loud  advertisements,  of  all  colors,  shapes, 
and  sizes,  abound  on  every  side.  Pea-nut  sellers  at  their 
stands  on  the  pavement  invite  the  passers-by  to  purchase, 
announcing  that  they  roast  fresh  every  half  hour.  What 
amused  me,  in  one  of  the  by-streets  from  which  the  frozen 
snow  had  not  been  removed,  was  seeing  a  number  of  boys 
skating  along  at  full  speed. 

Fronting  the  lake  is  the  fashionable  avenue  of  the 
city.  Here,  nice  detached  houses  range  along  the  broad 


OMAHA  TO  CHICAGO.  273 

road  for  miles.  Trees  shade  the  carriage-way,  which  in 
summer  must  look  beautiful.  Now  all  is  covered  with 
hard-frozen  snow,  over  which  the  sleigh-bells  sound  mer- 
rily as  the  teams  come  dashing  along  Here  comes  a 
little  cutter  with  a  pretty  black  pony,  which  trots  saucily 
past,  and  is  followed  by  a  grand  double-seated  sleigh 
drawn  by  three  splendid  grays.  Other  sleighs,  built  for 
lightness  and  speed,  are  drawn  by  fast-trotting  horses,  in 
which  the  Americans  take  so  much  delight.  The  object 
of  most  of  the  young  men  who  are  out  sleighing  seems 
to  be  to  pass  the  sleigh  in  front  of  them,  so  that  some 
very  smart  racing  is  usually  to  be  seen  along  the  Avenue 
drive. 

As  might  be  expected  from  the  extent  and  wealth  of 
its  population,  Chicago  is  well  supplied  with  places  of 
amusement.  I  observe  that  Christine  Nilsson  is  here  at 
present,  and  she  is  an  immense  favorite.  There  are  also 
many  handsome  stone  churches  in  the  city,  which  add 
much  to  the  fine  appearance  of  the  place.  But  I  had 
neither  time  to  visit  the  theatres  nor  the  churches,  as  my 
time  in  Chicago  was  already  up,  and  I  accordingly  made 
arrangements  for  pursuing  my  journey  eastward.* 

*  It  will  be  observed  that  the  above  summary  description  applies  to  Chi- 
cago as  it  was  seen  by  the  writer  in  February  last.  While  these  sheets 
are  passing  through  the  press,  the  appalling  intelligence  has  arrived  from 
America  that  the  magnificent  city  has  been  almost  entirely  destroyed  by 
fire ! 

M2 


MOUND  THE  WORLD. 


NIAGABA  FALLS — AMERICAN  SIDE. 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

CHICAGO    TO    NEW    YORK. 

Leave  Chicago. — The  Ice  Harvest. — Michigan  City. — The  Forest. — A 
Railway  Smash. — Kalamazoo. — Detroit. — Crossing  into  Canada. — 
American  Manners. — Roebling's  Suspension  Bridge. — Niagara  Falls  in 
Winter. — Goat  Island. — The  American  Fall. — The  Great  Horse-shoe 
Fall. — The  Rapids  from  the  Lovers'  Seat. — American  Cousins. — Roch- 
ester.— New  York. — A  Catastrophe.— Return  Home. 

FOE  some  distance  out  of  Chicago  the  railway  runs 
alongside  the  fine  avenue  fronting  Lake  Michigan.  "We 
pass  a  long  succession  of  villas  amid  their  gardens  and 
shrubberies,  now  white  with  snow  and  frost.  Then  we 
cross  an  inlet  on  a  timber  viaduct  laid  on  piles  driven 
into  the  bed  of  the  lake.  The  ice  at  some  parts  is  thrown 
up  irregularly  in  waves,  and  presents  a  strange  aspect. 
It  looks  as  if  it  had  been  frozen  solid  in  one  moment  at 
a  time  when  the  wind  was  blowing  pretty  hard. 


CHICAGO  TO  NEW  YORK.  275 

At  another  part,  where  the  ice  is  smoother,  men  were 
getting  in  the  ice  harvest  between  us  and  the  shore.  The 
snow  is  first  cleared  from  the  surface  by  means  of  a  snow 
plane.  Then  the  plow,  drawn  by  a  horse,  with  a  man 
guiding  the  sharp  steel  cutter,  makes  a'  deep  groove,  into 
the  ice.  These  grooves  are  again  crossed  by  others  at 
right  angles,  until  the  whole  of  the  surface  intended  to 
be  gathered  in  is  divided  into  sections  of  about  four  feet 
square.  When  that  is  done,  several  of  the  first  blocks 
taken  out  are  detached  by  means  of  hand-saws,  after 
which  the  remainder  are  easily  broken  off  with  crow- 
bars. The  blocks  are  then  stored  in  the  large  ice-houses 
on  shore,  several  of  which  are  so  large  as  to  be  each  ca- 
pable of  holding  some  20,000  tons  of  ice. 

The  consumption  of  ice  in  the  States  is  enormous. 
Every  one  takes  ice  in  their  water  in  winter  as  well  as  in 
summer.  Even  the  commonest  sort  of  people  consume 
it  largely ;  and  they  send  round  to  the  store,  for  ten  cents' 
worth  of  ice,  just  as  our  people  send  round  to  the  nearest 
public  for  sixpenny  worth  of  beer.  I  have  heard  Amer- 
icans who  have  been  in  London  complain  of  the  scarcity 
of  ice  with  us,  and  the  parsimonious  way  in  which  it  is 
used ;  but  then  we  have  not  the  enormous  natural  stores 
of  ice  close  to  our  doors,  as  they  have  at  Chicago  and 
many  other  of  the  large  American  towns. 

Meanwhile  we  have  skirted  the  shores  of  the  lake  and 
shot  into  the  country,  the  snow  lying  deep  in  the  fields, 
in  some  places  quite  covering  the  tops  of  the  fences. 
After  passing  through  a  rather  thickly-wooded  country, 
we  come  to  Michigan  City,  which  stands  close  to  the 
lake,  with  a  river  flowing  past  it,  on  which  large  barges 
piled  high  with  timber  are  now  completely  frozen  up. 


276  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

What  a  pretty  place  this  Michigan  must  be  in  summer 
time,  when  the  trees  which  line  the  streets,  and  all  the 
shady  gardens  about  it,  are  clad  in  green !  Even  now 
the  town  has  a  brisk,  cheerful  look.  The  sleighs  are 
running  merrily  over  the  snow,  and  the  omnibuses  glide 
smoothly  along  the  streets  on  their  "  runners." 

Taking  one  last  look  of  the  great  inland  sea,  we  struck 
across  the  broad  peninsula  formed  by  Lake  Michigan  on 
one  side  and  Lake  Huron  on  the  other,  to  the  town  of 
Detroit.  The  country  was  very  thickly  wooded  in  some 
places,  apparently  the  remains  of  the  old  primeval  for- 
est ;  yet  there  were  towns  and  villages  at  frequent  inter- 
vals along  the  route.  The  deer  have  not  yet  been  extir- 
pated, for  often  and  again  I  saw  their  tracks  in  the  snow 
along  the  banks  of  the  railway. 

At  one  part  of  the  rodd  the  speed  of  the  train  slack- 
ened, and  the  engine  moved  along  slowly,  whistling  as  it 
went.  What  was  wrong  ?  I  got  out  on  to  the  platform 
to  see.  We  soon  came  up  to  a  smashed  train ;  frames  of 
cars,  wrecks  of  cases,  wheels,  axles,  and  debris,  laying 
promiscuously  tumbled  together.  I  asked  the  conductor 
what  had  happened.  He  answered  quite  coolly,  "  Guess 
the  express  ran  into  goods  train  !"  It  looked  very  like  it. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  passed  several  small  man- 
ufacturing towns.  It  seemed  so  odd,  when  we  appeared 
as  if  traveling  through  the  back  woods,  to  see  above  the 
trees,  not  far  off,  a  tall  red  chimney,  where  not  long  be- 
fore we  had  passed  the  track  of  the  wild  deer.  There 
was  one  very  large  manufactory — so  large  that  it  had  a 
special  branch  to  itself  connecting  it  with  the  main  track 
— at  a  place  called  Kalamazoo,  reminding  one  of  Red 
Indians  and  war  trails  over  this  ground  not  so  very  long 


CHIC  A  GO  TO  NEW  YORK.  277 

ago.  The  town  of  Kalamazoo  itself  is  a  large  and  busy 
place :  who  knows  but  that  it  may  contain  the  embryo 
of  some  future  Leeds  or  Manchester  ? 

It  was  dark  when  the  train  reached  Detroit,  where  we 
had  to  cross  the  river  which  runs  bet  wen  Lake  St.  Clair 
and  Lake  Erie  by  ferry-boat  into  Canada.  The  street 
being  dark,  I  missed  my  way,  and  at  last  found  myself 
on  the  edge  of  the  water  when  I  least  expected  it.  I  got 
on  board  just  as  the  last  bell  was  sounding  before  the 
boat  put  off  from  the  quay.  I  then  had  my  baggage 
checked  on  to  Niagara,  a  custom-house  officer  on  board 
marking  all  the  pieces  intended  only  to  pass  through 
Canada,  thereby  avoiding  examination.  All  the  arrange- 
ments of  the  American  railways  with  respect  to  luggage 
seem  to  me  excellent,  and  calculated  greatly  to  promote 
the  convenience  of  the  traveling  public. 

We  were  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  on  board 
the  ferry-boat,  during  which  I  found  time  to  lay  in  a 
good  supper  in  the  splendid  saloon  occupying  the  upper 
story  of  the  vessel.  Arrived  at  the  Canadian  side,  there 
was  a  general  rush  to  the  train,  and  the  carriages  were 
soon  filled.  There  were  great  complaints  among  some 
of  the  passengers  that  the  Pullman's  cars  were  all  full, 
and  that  no  beds  were  to  be  had ;  there  being  usually  a 
considerable  run  upon  these  convenient  berths,  especial- 
ly in  the  depth  of  winter. 

My  next  neighbor  during  the  night  was  a  very  pleas- 
ant gentleman — an  American.  I  must  here  confess  to 
the  agreeable  disappointment  I  have  experienced  with 
respect  to  the  Americans  I  have  hitherto  come  in  contact 
with.  I  have  as  yet  met  with  no  specimens  of  the  typi- 
cal Yankee  depicted  by  satirists  and  novelists.  In  my 


278  HOUND  THE  WORLD. 

innocence,  I  expected  to  be  asked  in  the  cars  such  ques- 
tions as  "I  guess  you're  a  Britisher,  sir f  "  Where  do 
you  come  from,  stranger  ?"  "  Where  are  you  going  to, 
sir  ?"  "  What  are  you  going  to  do  when  you  get  there '?" 
and  such  like.  It  is  true  that  at  San  Francisco  I  encoun- 
tered a  few  of  such  questions,  but  the  persons  who  put 
them  were  for  the  most  part  only  hotel  touters.  Among 
the  Americans  of  about  my  own  condition  with  whom  I 
traveled  I  met  with  nothing  but  politeness  and  civility. 
I  will  go  farther,  and  say,  that  the  generality  of  Ameri- 
cans are  more  ready  to  volunteer  a  kindness  than  is  usual 
in  England.  They  are  always  ready  to  answer  a  ques- 
tion, to  offer  a  paper,  to  share  a  rug,  or  perhaps  tender  a 
cigar.  They  are  generally  easy  in  manner,  yet  unobtru- 
sive. I  will  also  add,  that,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes, 
the  average  intelligence  of  young  men  in  America  is 
considerably  higher  than  it  is  in  England.  They  are 
better  educated  and  better  informed ;  and  I  met  few  or 
none  who  were  not  able  to  enter  into  any  topic  of  gen- 
eral conversation,  and  pursue  it  pleasantly. 

I  saw  but  little  of  Canada,  for  I  passed  through  what 
is  called  the  "  London  district"  of  it  in  the  night.  It 
was  about  four  in  the  morning  when  the  train  reached 
the  suspension  bridge  which  crosses  from  Canada  into 
the  States,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  below  the  Falls  of 
Niagara.  We  were  soon  upon  the  bridge — a  light,  airy- 
looking  structure,  made  principally  of  strong  wire — and 
I  was  out  upon  the  carriage  platform  looking  down  into 
the  gorge  below.  It  was  bright  moonlight,  so  that  I 
could  see  well  about  me.  There  were  the  snow-covered 
cliffs  on  either  side,  and  the  wide  rift  between  them  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep,  in  the  bottom  of  which  ran 


CHICAGO  TO  NEW  YORK.  279 

the  river  at  a  speed  of  about  thirty  iniles  an  hour.  It 
almost  made  the  head  dizzy  to  look  down.  But  we  were 
soon  across  the  bridge,  and  on  solid  land  again.  "We 
were  already  within  hearing  of  the  great  roar  of  the 
Falls,  not  unlike  the  sound  of  an  express  train  coming 
along  the  track  a  little  distance  off.  Shortly  after  we 
reached  our  terminus  and  its  adjoining  hotel,  in  which 
for  a  time  I  forgot  the  Falls  and  every  thing  else  in  a 
sound  sleep,  gsncroft  LibTSTJ 

The  first  thing  that  struck  me  on  wakening  was  the 
loud  continuous  roar  near  at  hand.  I  was  soon  up  and 
out,  and  on  my  way  to  the  Falls,  seated  in  a  grand  sleigh 
drawn  by  a  pair  of  fine  black  horses.  Remember  it  was 
the  dead  of  winter,  the  15th  of  February,  not  by  any 
means  the  time  of  the  year  for  going  about  sight-seeing, 
and  yet  I  fancy  the  sight  of  Niagara  in  midwinter  must 
be  quite  as  astonishing,  and  perhaps  even  more  pictur- 
esque, than  at  any  other  season. 

Over  the  crisp  snow,  and  through  the  clean  little  town, 
the  sleigh  went  flying,  the  roar  of  the  water  growing 
louder  as  we  neared  the  Falls.  Soon  we  are  at  the  gates 
of  a  bridge,  where  a  toll  is  charged  for  admission  to  the 
island  from  which  the  great  Falls  are  best  seen.  Cross- 
ing the  bridge,  we  reach  the  small  island,  on  which  a 
large  paper-mill  has  been  erected ;  and  I  am  pointed  to 
a  rock  to  which  last  winter  a  poor  fellow — beyond  the 
reach  of  safety,  though  in  sight — clung  for  hours,  until, 
unable  to  hold  on  any  longer,  he  was  finally  swept  away 
down  the  torrent. 

We  cross  another  small  bridge,  and  are  on  the  celebra- 
ted Goat  Island,  which  divides  the  great  Canadian  from 
the  smaller  American  fall.  My  driver  first  took  me  to  a 


280  HOUND  THE  WORLD, 

point  on  the  American  side  of  this  island  from  which  a 
fine  view  is  to  be  obtained.  The  sight  is  certainly  most 
wonderful.  I  walked  down  a  steep  pathway  slippery 
with  ice,  with  steps  cut  here  and  there  in  the  rock,  and 
suddenly  found  myself  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice. 
Close  to  my  left  the  water  was  pouring  down  into  a 
chasm  a  hundred  and  sixty  feet  below,  disappearing  in  a 
great  blue  cavern  of  ice  that  seemed  to  swallow  it  up. 
By  the  continual  freezing  of  the  spray,  this  great  ice- 
cave  reaches  higher  and  higher  during  winter  time.  Im- 
mense icicles,  some  fifty  feet  long,  hang  down  the  sides 
of  the  rock  immediately  over  the  precipice.  The  trees 
on  the  island  above  were  bent  down  with  the  weight 
of  the  frozen  spray,  which  hung  in  masses  from  their 
branches.  The  blending  of  the  ice  and  water  far  be- 
neath my  feet  was  a  remarkable  sight.  As  the  spray 
and  mist  from  time  to  time  cleared  off,  I  looked  deep 
down  into  the  dark  icy  abyss,  in  which  the  water  roared, 
and  foamed,  and  frothed,  and  boiled  again. 

Then  I  went  to  the  other  side  of  the  island,  quite  fairy- 
like  as  it  glistened  in  the  sunlight,  gemmed  with  ice- 
drops,  and  clad  in  its  garment  of  white,  and  there  I 
saw  that  astounding  sight,  the  great  Horse-shoe  Fall, 
seven  hundred  feet  across,  over  which  the  enormous  mass 
of  water  pours  with  tremendous  force.  As  the  water 
rolled  over  the  cliff,  it  seemed  to  hang  like  a  green  cur- 
tain in  front  of  it  until  it  reached  half  way  down ;  then 
gradually  breaking,  white  streaks  appeared  in  it,  broad- 
ening as  they  descended,  until  at  length  the  mighty  mass 
spread  out  in  foam,  and  fell  roaring  into  the  terrific  gulf 
some  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below.  A  great  ice-bridge 
stretched  across  the  river  beyond  the  boiling  water  at  the 


CHICAGO  TO  NEW  YOKK.  281 

bottom  of  the  Fall,  rough  and  uneven  like  some  of  the 
Swiss  glaciers.  Clouds  of  spray  flew  about,  seemingly 
like  smoke  or  steam,  Words  fail  to  describe  a  scene  of 
such  overpowering  grandeur  as  this. 

I  was  next  driven  along  Goat  Island  to  a  small  sus- 
pension bridge,  some  distance  above  the  Falls,  where  I 
crossed  over  to  one  of  the  three  Sister  Islands — small 
bits  of  land  jutting  right  out  into  the  middle  of  the 
rapids.  The  water  passes  between  each  of  these  islands, 
I  went  out  to  the  extreme  point  of  the  farthest.  The 
sight  here  is  perhaps  second  only  to  the  great  Fall  itself. 
The  river,  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  wide,  rushes  down 
the  heavy  descent,  contracting  as  it  goes  before  leaping 
the  precipice  below.  The  water  was  tossing  and  foam- 
ing like  an  angry  sea,  reminding  me  of  the  ocean  when 
the  waves  are  running  high  and  curling  their  white 
crests  after  a  storm. 

These  rapids  had  far  more  fascination  for  me  than 
the  Falls  themselves.  I  could  sit  and  watch  for  hours 
the  water  rushing  past ;  and  it  was  long  before  I  could 
leave  them,  though  my  feet  were  in  deep  snow.  It 
must  be  very  fine  to  sit  out  at  that  extreme  point  in 
summer  time,  shaded  by  the  rich  foliage  of  the  trees,  and 
dream  away  the  hours.  The  seat  is  known  as  the  Lover's 
Seat,  but  lovers  would  need  to  have  strong  lungs  to 
shout  their  whispers  to  each  other  there,  if  they  wished 
them  to  be  heard. 

At  length  I  turned  my  back  upon  the  foaming  torrent, 
and  resumed  the  road  to  my  hotel.  On  my  way  back  I 
stopped  at  the  genuine  Niagara  curiosity-shop,  where 
photographs,  Indian  bead  and  feather  work,  and  articles 
manufactured  out  of  the  "  real  Niagara  spar,"  are  sold. 


282  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

Only  the  photographs  are  really  genuine  and  good.  The 
bead-work  is  a  manufacture,  and  probably  never  passed 
through  Indian  hands;  while  the  Niagara  spar  is  im- 
ported from  Matlock,  much  of  it  doubtless  returning  to 
England  in  the  form  of  curious  specimens  of  workman- 
ship from  the  Great  Falls. 

I  have  very  little  more  to  add  relating  to  my  journey 
through  the  States.  I  was  not  making  a  tour,  but  pass- 
ing through  America  at  railway  speed  on  my  way  home 
to  England,  and  I  have  merely  described,  in  the  most 
rapid  and  cursory  way,  the  things  that  struck  me  along 
my  route.  All  that  remained  for  me  to  do  between  Ni- 
agara and  New  York  was  to  call  at  Rochester,  and  pay 
an  unheralded  visit  to  my  American  cousins  there. 
What  English  family  has  not  got  relations  in  the  States  ? 
I  find  that  I  have  them  living  in  Rochester,  Boston,  and 
St.  Louis.  It  is  the  same  blood,  after  all,  in  both  coun- 
tries— in  Old  and  New  England. 

After  traveling  through  the  well-cultivated,  well-peo- 
pled country  that  extends  eastward  from  Niagara  to 
Rochester,  I  arrived  at  my  destination  about  four  in  the 
afternoon,  and  immediately  went  in  search  of  my  Amer- 
ican cousins.  I  was  conscious  of  being  a  rather  untidy 
•  sight  to  look  at,  after  my  long  railway  journey  of  nearly 
three  thousand  miles,  and  did  not  know  what,  in  my 
rough  traveling  guise,  my  reception  might  be.  But  any 
misgivings  on  that  point  were  soon  set  at  rest  by  the  cor- 
diality of  my  reception.  I  was  at  once  made  one  of  the 
family,  and  treated  as  such.  I  enjoyed  with  my  new- 
found relatives  four  delightful  days  of  recruiting  rest 
and  friendly  intercourse.  To  use  the  common  American 
phrase,  I  had  a  "  real  good  time." 


CHICAGO  TO  NEW  YORK.  283 

The  town  of  Rochester  is  much  bigger  than  the  En- 
glish city  of  the  same  name.  It  is  a  place  of  considera- 
ble trade  and  importance,  with  a  population  of  about 
60,000.  Some  of  the  commercial  buildings  are  very  fine, 
and  I  was  told  of  one  place  that  it  was  "  the  finest  fire- 
proof establishment  in  the  world."  Possibly  the  Ameri- 
can world  was  meant,  and  that  is  by  no  means  a  small 
one.  Rochester  is  especially  famous  for  its  nurseries, 
where  trees  of  all  kinds  are  reared  and  sent  far  and  near, 
its  principal  nursery  firms  being  known'  all  over  Europe. 

There  are  some  fine  waterfalls  near  Rochester  —  the 
Falls  of  the  Genesee.  Had  I  not  seen  Niagara,  I  should 
have  doubtless  wondered  at  their  beauty.  Their  height 
is  as  great,  but  the  quantity  of  water  is  wanting.  After 
Niagara,  all  other  falls  must  seern  comparatively  tame. 

My  short  stay  in  Rochester  was  made  most  pleasant. 
I  felt  completely  at  home  and  at  my  ease  in  the  Ameri- 
can household  I  had  so  suddenly  entered.  I  also  accom- 
panied my  cousins  to  two  evening  entertainments,  one  a 
fancy  dress  ball,  and  the  other  a  soiree  dansante,  where 
I  made  the  passing  acquaintance  of  some  very  agreeable 
American  ladies  and  gentlemen.  I  was  really  sorry  to 
leave  Rochester;  and  as  the  carriage  drove  me  along 
the  pretty  avenue  to  the  station,  I  felt  as  if  I  were  just 
leaving  a  newly-found  home. 

I  traveled  from  Rochester  to  New  York  during  the 
night,  passing  several  large  towns,  and  at  some  places 
iron-furnaces  at  work,  reminding  one  of  the  "Black 
country"  in  England  by  night.  The  noble  Hudson  was 
hard  bound  in  ice  as  we  passed  along  its  banks,  so  that  I 
missed  the  beautiful  sight  that  it  presents  in  summer 
time.  But  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  dwell  either  upon 


284  MOUND  THE  WORLD. 

the  Hudson  or  the  city  of  New  York,  about  which  most 
people  are  in  these  days  well  read  up.  As  for  New 
York,  I  can  not  say  that  I  was  particularly  struck  by  it, 
except  by  its  situation,  which  is  superb,  and  by  its  mag- 
nitude, which  is  immense.  It  seemed  to  me  only  a 
greater  Manchester,  with  larger  sign-boards,  a  clearer  at- 
mosphere, and  a  magnificent  river  front.  It  contains 
no  great  buildings  of  a  metropolitan  character,  unless 
among  such  buildings  are  to  be  included  hotels,  newspa- 
per offices,  and  dry  goods  stores,  some  of  which  are  real- 
ly enormous  piles.  Generally  speaking,  New  York  may 
be  described  as  a  city  consisting  of  comparatively  insig- 
nificant parts  greatly  exaggerated,  and  almost  infinitely 
multiplied.  It  may  be  want  of  taste ;  but,  on  the  whole, 
I  was  better  pleased  with  Chicago.  The  season  of  my 
visit  was  doubtless  unpropitious.  Who  could  admire 
the  beauties  of  the  noble  Central  Park  in  the  dead  of 
winter?  Perhaps,  too,  I  was  not  in  a  good  humor  to 
judge  of  New  York,  as  it  was  there  that  I  met  with  my 
first  and  only  misfortune  during  my  two  years'  absence 
from  home — for  there  I  was  robbed. 

I  had  been  strongly  urged  by  my  friends  at  Rochester 
to  go  to  Booth's  Theatre  to  see  Mr.  Booth  play  in  "  Rich- 
elieu" as  a  thing  not  to  be  seen  in  the  same  perfection 
any  where  else.  I  went  accordingly,  enjoyed  Booth's 
admirable  acting,  and  returned  to  my  hotel.  "When  I 
reached  there,  on  feeling  my  pocket,  lo !  my  purse  was 
gone.  I  had  been  relieved  of  it  either  in  the  press  at 
the  theatre  exit,  or  in  entering  or  leaving  the  tramway 
car  on  my  return. 

I  had  my  ticket  for  Liverpool  safe  in  my  waistcoat 
pocket ;  but  there  was  my  hotel  bill  to  pay,  and  several 


CHIC  A  O  0  TO  NEW  YORK.  285 

necessaries  to  purchase  for  use  during  the  voyage  home. 
What  was  I  to  do  ?  I  knew  nobody  in  New  York.  It 
was  too  far  from  home  to  obtain  a  remittance  from 
thence,  and  I  was  anxious  to  leave  without  farther  delay. 
I  bethought  me  of  the  kind  friends  I  had  left  at  Roches- 
ter, acquainted  them  with  my  misfortune,  and  asked  for 
a  temporary  loan  of  twenty  dollars.  By  return  post  an 
order  arrived  for  a  hundred.  "A  friend  in  need  is  a 
friend  indeed." 

The  same  post  brought  two  letters  from  my  Rochester 
friends,  in  one  of  which  my  correspondent  said  that  my 
misfortune  was  one  that  few  escaped  in  New  York.  He 
himself  had  been  robbed  of  his  purse  in  a  Broadway 
stage,  his  father  had  been  robbed  of  a  pocket-book  con- 
taining money,  and  his  father-in-law  of  a  gold  watch. 
My  other  kind  correspondent,  who  inclosed  me  his  check, 
said,  by  way  of  caution, "  You  must  bear  in  mind  that 
the  principal  streets  of  New  York  are  full  of  pickpockets 
and  desperadoes.  They  will  recognize  you  as  a  stranger, 
so  you  must  be  wary.  You  may  be  '  spotted'  as  you  go 
into  or  come  out  of  the  banking  office.  It  often  happens 
that  a  man  is  robbed  in  Wall  Street  in  open  day — is 
knocked  down,  and  his  money '  grabbed'  before  his  eyes ; 
so  be  very  careful,  and  trust  nobody.  Go  alone  to  the 
banking  office,  or  get  a  trusty  servant  from  the  house  to 
go  with  you ;  but  let  no  outsider  see  check  or  money." 

Of  course  I  took  very  good  care  not  to  be  robbed  in 
New  York  a  second  time,  and  I  got  away  in  safety  next 
morning  by  the  "  City  of  Brooklyn,"  taking  with  me  the 
above  very  disagreeable  reminiscence  of  my  New  York 
experience.  It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  the  voyage 
home,  the  passage  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  being 


286  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

now  as  familiar  an  event  as  the  journey  from  London 
to  York.  At  Queenstown  I  telegraphed  my  arrival  to 
friends  at  home,  and  by  the  time  the  ship  entered  the 
Mersey  there  were  those  waiting  at  the  landing-place  to 
give  me  a  cordial  welcome  back.  I  ran  up  to  town  by 
the  evening  train,  and  was  again  at  home.  Thus  I  com- 
pleted my  Voyage  Round  the  "World,  in  the  course  of 
which  I  have  gained  health,  knowledge,  and  experience, 
and  seen  and  learned  many  things  which  will  probably 
furnish  me  with  matter  for  thought  in  all  my  future  life. 


INDEX. 


ALBATROSS,  51,  57. ' 

Alta,  Central  Pacific  Railway,  248. 

American  cousins,  282;  Indians,  251; 
manners,  277, 278 ;  railway  cars,  241. 

Amusements  on  board  ship,  28,  33,  34, 
50,  60,  62. 

Arrival  of  home  mail,  Majorca,  175. 

Arum  esculentum,  Honolulu,  218. 

Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railway,  241-262 ; 
the  railway  cars,  241 ;  Sacramento 
City,  243 ;  scenery  of  the  Sierra  Neva- 
da, 245 ;  Cape  Horn,  247 ;  snow-sheds, 
249,  258 ;  the  summit,  249 ;  the  sage 
desert,  250,  251 ;  Shoshonie  Indians, 
251 ;  Devil's  Peak,  252 ;  Weber  Cafton, 
255;  Laramie  City,  259;  Cheyenne,  260 ; 
Prairie  Dog  City,  261 ;  River  Platte,261, 
262 ;  arrival  at  Omaha,  262. 

Auckland,  New  Zealand,  199-204. 

Aurora  Australis,  129. 

Australia,  first  sight  of,  62 ;  last,  198. 

Autumn  rains,  Majorca,  130. 

Avoca,  167. 

Azores,  27. 

Ballarat,  visit  to,  160-166. 

Bank,  at  Majorca,  95, 130. 

Bank-robbing,  156, 157. 

Bar  at  a  gold-rush,  91. 

Batman,  first  settler  in  Victoria,  69. 

Battle  Mount,  Nevada,  251. 

Becalmed  on  the  Line,  37. 

Beggars,  absence  of,  in  Victoria,  70,  98. 

Bell-bird,  134. 

Birds  in  South  Atlantic,  56. 

Black  Thursday  in  Victoria,  122. 

"Blue  Jacket," burning  of,  40-47. 

Bonitos,  31, 34. 

Booth's  Theatre,  New  York,  284. 

Botanic  Gardens,  Melbourne,  76. 

Botany  Bay,  188. 

Bourke  Street,  Melbourne,  66. 

Brighton,  64,  76. 

Brooke,  the  murderer,  154-156. 

Bush  animals :  marsupials,  131, 132, 138 ; 

reptiles,  137 ;  birds,  134-136. 
Bush  fires,  122. 
Bush,  the,  106 ;  in  summer,  119, 127 ;  by 

moonlight,  173. 
Bush  piano,  129. 

Calms  on  the  Line,  37. 

Cape  Brett,  199. 

Cape  de  Verd  Island?,  30. 

Cape  Horn,  Central  Pacific  Railway,  247. 

Cape  Leeuwin,62. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  50, 53. 


Cape  Otway,  62, 63. 

Cape  pigeons,  53, 57. 

Carlton  Gardens,  Melbourne,  71. 

Castlemaine,  84. 

Castle  Rocks,  Rocky  Mountains,  256. 

Cautions  against  robbers,  158,  285. 

Central  Pacific  Railway,  245-253. 

Channel,  in  the,  16-18. 

Cheltenham,  Australia,  76. 

Cheyenne,  U.S.,  260. 

Chicago,  arrival  at,  266 ;  enterprise  of, 
267,  268;  water-supply,  268,  269;  tun- 
nels under  river,  268,  271 ;  buildings, 
271,272;  pigs  and  pork,  271, 272;  gram- 
trade  of,  272 ;  sleighs,  273 ;  departure 
from,  274. 

Chinese,  character,  71 ;  gardens  and  gar- 
deners, 96,  115,  116 ;  music,  104 ;  buri- 
als, 105 ;  gold-diggers,  141-143, 146 ;  at 
Honolulu,  225 ;  at  San  Francisco,  287. 

Christmas  in  Victoria,  192, 1S5. 

"City  of  Melbourne,"  steam-ship,196-211. 

Climate  of  Victoria:  winter,  109;  spring, 
117;  summer,  118;  autumn,  125, 130. 

Clunes,  111,  112, 167. 

Coach,  journeys  by:  Castlemaine  to  Ma- 
jorca, 85,  86;  Cluues  to  Ballarat,  160, 
161 ;  Auckland  to  Onehuuga,  202. 

Cochon  Islands,  58. 

Collingwood  Bank,  attempt  to  rob,  156, 
157. 

Collins  Street,  Melbourne,  68. 

Cook,  Captain,  in  New  South  Wales,  188. 

Corner,  the,  Ballarat,  164. 

Council  Bluffs, U.S., 264. 

Crab-holes,  167. 

Crozet  Islands,  58. 

Dale  Creek  Bridge,  U.  S.,  260. 
Death  on  board  ship,  232. 
Deck-bath  in  tropics,  32. 
Descent  into  a  gold  mine,  145. 
Detroit,  U.  S.,  277 ;  to  Niagara,  277,  278. 
Devil's  Peak,  Rocky  Mountains,  252; 

Gate,  255. 
Diggers  at  a  gold-rueh,  90-92 ;  amateur, 

143;  Chinese,  141, 146;  hospitality  of, 

100, 101. 

Diggers'  tales,  126, 148, 152-156. 
Divers,  Honolulu,  223. 
Drink-license,  Honolulu,  224,  225. 
Drunkenness,  absence  of,  in  Majorca, 

97,  98. 
Dust-winds  in  Victoria,  120. 

Echo  City  and  Canon,  U.  S.,  256. 
Elsternwick,  76. 


288 


INDEX. 


Elko,  Nevada,  2S2. 
Epsom,  New  Zealand,  203. 
Eucalyptus,  110. 

Farms  near  Majorca,  125, 126, 128. 

Ferry-boat,  San  Francisco,  239. 

Fete  at  Talbot,  169-171 ;  at  Majorca,  for 
school-fund,  180, 181. 

Fire-brigade,  Ballarat,  166. 

Fires  in  the  bush, 122. 

Fitzroy  Gardens,  Melbourne,  71. 

Plies  in  Majorca,  121. 

Floods,  about  Majorca,  11 2-114;  at  Balla- 
rat, 115, 116 ;  at  Clunes,  114. 

Flowers,  Majorca,  118. 

Flying  fish,  31, 210. 

Frenchman  in  Majorca,  177. 

Fruits,  Majorca,  122. 

Funeral  of  Majorca  town  clerk,  182. 

"  Galatea,"  H.M.S.,  199, 204. 

Genesee  Falls,  U.  S.,  283. 

"  George  Thompson,"  of  London,  48, 49. 

Germans  in  Victoria,  94, 176, 177. 

Goat  Island,  Niagara,  279. 

Gold :  buying,  139-143 ;  finding,  147-150 ; 
mining,  144-150,  163,  256;  purifying, 
139, 140 ;  rushing,  89-92, 151, 162. 

Grain-trade,  Chicago,  272. 

Grapes  in  Victoria,  124. 

"Great  Britain,"  of  Liverpool,  186. 

Green  sea,  shipping  a,  55. 

Gum-tree,  Australian,  87, 110. 

Harvest-time,  Majorca,  125. 

Havelock  rush,  152. 

Hawaii,  211. 

Heat  in  summer,  Australia,  119. 

Holystoning,  23, 24. 

Honeysuckers,  134. 

Honolulu:  arrival  at,  211;  the  harbor, 
212;  commercial  importance  of,  213; 
description  of,  214, 215 ;  churches,  215; 
post-office,  216 ;  king's  palace  at,  217, 
218 ;  visit  to  the  Nuuanu  Valley,  218- 
222  ;  Poi,  218, 219 ;  Queen  Emma's  vil- 
la, 219 ;  the  Pali,  221 ;  the  natives,  222, 
223;  the  women,  224;  liquor-licenses, 
224,  225 ;  Chinese  opium-license,  225 ; 
theatricals  at,  225 ;  climate  of,  218, 227. 

Honolulu  to  San  Francisco,  228-234. 

Horse-shoe  Fall,  Niagara,  280. 

Hudson  River,  283. 

Humboldt,  U.  S.,  250. 

Ice-bird,  57. 

Ice-consumption  in  U.  S.,  275. 
Ice-harvest,  Lake  Michigan,  275. 
Illinois  Prairie,  266. 
Irish  in  Majorca,  94. 

Kalamazoo,  U.  S.,  276, 277. 
Kamehameha  V.,  228. 
Kanakas,  Honolulu,  222-224, 228. 
Kangaroo,  138, 194. 

Landing  in  Australia,  64, 65. 
Laramie  City,  U.  S.,  259. 


Leatherheads,  134. 

Leeches  in  Victoria,  128, 129. 

Les  Apotres  Islands,  58, 59. 

Libraries,  public,  in  Australia:  Mel- 
bourne, 72;  Ballarat,  164;  Majorca, 
182. 

Line,  cross  the,  38,  210. 

Liquor-law,  Honolulu,  224, 225. 

"  Lord  Raglan,"  35, 36. 

Lovers'  Seat,  Niagara,  281. 

Lowe  Kong  Meng  Mine,  145. 

Luggage  on  American  railways,  277. 

Lung  complaints,  sea-voyage  in,  21. 

M'Cullum's  Creek,  99, 115. 

Macquarie  Light-house,  189. 

Magpie,  Australian,  134. 

Mails :  Victoria  and  Honolulu,  216 ;  de- 
lays of  New  Zealand,  204  ;  newspapers 
by  ocean  mail,  treatment  of,  210,  211  • 
arrival  at  Majorca,  175. 

Majorca,  life  in,  89-183. 

Manukau  Bay,  New  Zealand,  203. 

Maoris,  200-202. 

Marsupials,  138. 

Maryborough,  86 ;  rush  at,  126. 

Mathews,  Mr.  Charles,  187,  226. 

Mauna  Loa,  Sandwich  Islands,  211. 

Melbourne,  arrival  at,  66;  description  of, 
67,  68 ;  youth  of,  69 ;  rapid  growth  of, 
69 ;  absence  of  beggars,  70 ;  the  Chi- 
nese Quarter,  71 ;  public  library,  72 ; 
visit  to  Pentridge  Prison,  73-75;  Bo- 
tanic Gardens,  76 ;  the  Yarra,  76 ;  the 
sea  suburbs  of,  76 ;  hospitality  of,  77 ; 
Christmas  in,  185. 

Michigan  City,  U.  S.,  275. 

Michigan,  Lake,  267-269,  274, 276. 

Mina-birds,  135. 

Mississippi  River,  265. 

Missouri  River,  264. 

Monument  to  Cook,  188  (note). 

Moonlight  in  Victoria,  120, 173. 

Mormon  fortifications,  256. 

"Moses  Taylor,"  steam-ship,  223,  230, 
231. 

Mount  Greenock,  Australia,  123. 

Musquitoes,  133,  227. 

New  chums,  70, 237. 

New  York,  284. 

New  Zealand,  196-204. 

Niagara  Falls  in  winter,  278-282. 

Nursery  Gardens,  Rochester,  283. 

Nuuanu  Valley,  Honolulu,  218. 

Oahu  Island,  214. 

Oakland,  California,  241. 

Ogden,  Utah,  253. 

Omaha,  263. 

Onehunga,  New  Zealand,  202, 203. 

Opium-license,  Honolulu,  225. 

Opossum-shooting,  131-133. 

Pacific,  up  the,  205-234. 
Pali,  of  the  Nuuanu  Valley,  221. 
Parliament  House,  Melbourne,  67. 
Parroquets,  135. 


INDEX. 


289 


"Patter    vs.  Clatter,''  at  Honolulu,  226 

(note}. 

Pentridge  Prison,  73-75. 
Phosphorescence,  27,  28. 
Pigtail,  Chinese,  71,  72. 
Piping  Crow,  134, 135. 
Platte -River,  U.  S.,  261,  262. 
Plymouth  Harbor,  19. 
Poi,  218,  219. 

Port  Jackson,  189, 190,  197. 
Port  Phillip  Heads,  63. 
Possession  Island,  58, 59. 
"  Pyrmont,"  of  Hamburg,  4(Mt7. 

Queen  scliffe,  Australia,  64, 186. 

Race  with  the  "George Thompson," 49. 

Railway:  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  see  At- 
lantic; to  Castlemaine,  84;  carriage, 
American,  241 ;  smash,  276 :  touters  at 
San  Francisco,  237. 

Rain  in  Victoria,  110-116. 

Robbed  in  New  York,  284. 

Rochester,  U.S.,  282. 

"  Rosa,"  of  Guernsey,  abandoned,  19. 

Rough  life  at  the  diggings,  151. 

Rushes,  gold,  89,  90, 151, 162, 163. 

Sacramento,  California,  244. 

Sage-bush,  250, 251. 

"  Saginaw,"  wreck  of  the,  229. 

Sail  Rock,  New  Zealand,  199. 

St.  Kilda, Victoria,  64,  76. 

San  Antonio,  30. 

Sandridge,Victoria,  64,  67, 71, 186. 

Sandwich  Islands,  213. 

San  Francisco,  233-240 ;  arrival  at,  233 ; 
Bay  of,  241;  buildings,  236;  Chinese 
Quarter,  237 ;  ferry-boat,  240 ;  money- 
brokers,  236,  237;  railway  touters,  237; 
railway  terminus,  241 ;  streets,  236. 

Schools,  Majorca,  179, 180. 

Scotch  at  Majorca,  94. 

Serious  family,  visit  to  a,  79. 

Shipping  a  green  sea,  55. 

Shooting  sea-birds,  58;  opossums,  131- 
138. 

Shoshonie  Indians,  251. 

"  Shouting"  for  drinks,  97. 

Sierra  Nevada,  245-253. 

Sister  Islands,  Niagara,  281. 

Snakes  in  the  bush,  136, 137. 

Snow-sheds  and  fences,  Atlantic  and  Pa- 
cific Railway,  249,  250,  258. 

South  Atlantic,  48. 

Spring  at  Majorca,  117. 

Squatters,  107, 127. 

Steam- voyage,  monotony  of,  205. 


Stevenson  on  the  power  of  waves,  55 
(note). 

Stink-pot,  57. 

Stockton,  California,  243. 

Summer  in  Victoria,  118. 

Sunrise  in  the  bush,  173, 174. 

Sunset  in  the  tropics,  38. 

Suspension  Bridge,  Niagara,  278. 

Sydney,  191-195 ;  age  of,  192;  animals  in 
Botanic  Gardens,  194;  Botanic  Gar- 
dens, 193,  194;  compared  with  Mel- 
bourne, 192 ;  Cove,  190,  191 ;  descrip- 
tion of,  191 ;  domain,  193 ;  harbors, 
191;  public  buildings,  191,  193;  sub- 
urbs, 195. 

Sydney  to  New  Zealand,  196-204. 

Talbot,  167-171. 

Taro  plant,  218. 

Tea-meetiners,  Majorca,  178. 

Teetotalers,  179. 

Telegraph,Victoria,  114, 159. 

Theatres:    Honolulu,  215;   Melbourne, 

67;  New  York,  284. 
Theatricals  on  board  ship,  60,  62. 
Thieves,  New  York,  285. 
Thousand-mile  Tree,  255. 
Three  Kings'  Island,  New  Zealand,  198. 
Trade  winds,  29. 
Trestle  -  bridges,  Atlantic   and   Pacific 

Railway,  246. 

Union  Pacific  Railway,  254-262. 

Verein,  opening  of,  Majorca,  176. 
Victoria,  when  colonized,  69,  70. 
Victorian  climate,  see  Climate. 
Victorian  life,  175, 178, 183. 
Vineyards,  Australia,  125. 

Wahsatch  Mountains,  U.  S.,  255. 
Wallaby,  138. 

Water-supply,  Chicago,  268,  269. 
Wattle  birds,  134. 
Weber  Canon,  255. 
Western  Pacific  Railway,  241-244. 
Whale-bird,  52. 
Williamstown, Victoria,  64,  76. 
Wine  in  Victoria,  124, 125. 
Winter  in  Majorca,  109. 
Wooloomooloo,  Sydney,  190, 191. 
Work  in  Victoria,  70, 97. 
Wreck  of  the  "  Saginaw,"  229. 
Wrens,  Victorian,  135. 

Yarra-Yarra  River,  75, 76. 
"Yorkshire,  "13-65. 


THE     END. 


BY  SAMUEL  SMILES. 


Character, 

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CONTENTS: 

Influence  of  Character.  —  Home  Power.  —  Companionship.— Example.— 
Work.— Courage.— Self-Control.— Duty.— Truthfulness.— Temper.— Manner. 
—Companionship  of  Books.— Companionship  in  Marriage.— Discipline  of 
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common-sense,  excellent  book  could  be  made  so  attractive.— Correspondence 
Cincinnati  Chronicle. 

It  enforces  the  wholesome  lessons  that  genuine  success  in  any  purpose  of 
life  is  to  be  expected  or  achieved  only  by  the  resolute  practice  of  industry, 
patience,  and  perseverance,  and  that  the  continual  exercise  of  these  qualities 
will  enable  him  who  is  most  moderately  endowed  by  nature  or  favored  by 
circumstances  to  win  the  highest  rewards  and  accomplish  the  noblest  deeds ; 
and  that  habits  of  exact,  zealous,  and  unremitting  application  are  more  cer- 
tain to  secure  their  possessor  the  object  of  his  desire,  be  it  wealth,  influence, 
or  reputation,  than  is  the  strongest  inherent  aptitude  or  even  genius  itself. 
These  principles  are  illustrated  by  a  host  of  examples  from  the  history  of  the 
most  eminent  men  of  all  ranks  and  professions.— Chicago  Evening  Post. 

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success  without  adventitious  aid,  and  to  surmount  the  difliculties  of  "iron 
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Chronicle. 

Life  of  the  Stephensons, 

The  Life  of  George  Stephenson,  and  of  his  Son  Robert  Stephen- 
son  ;  comprising,  also,  a  History  of  the  Invention  and  Introduc- 
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ever  imagined,  yet  a  story  every  part  of  which  is  true.— London  Review. 

i  kTOues  s  book  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  biographies,  both  as  re- 
gards the  personal  character  of  a  poor  man  of  genius,  fighting  out  the  battle 
of  life  with  an  exemplary  valor,  and,  in  a  more  general  way,  the  history  and 
progress  of  the  railway  system  in  the  place  where  it  originated.  It  contains 
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war  against  Nature— storming  its  strongholds  with  a  success  denied  the  gi- 
ants of  old— but  it  is  a  hist9ry  of  the  origin  and  development  of  one  of  the 
most  wonderful  and  useful  inventions  that  humanity  has  ever  profited  by.— 
Albany  Argus. 


Samuel  Smiles' s  Works. 


History  of  the  Huguenots, 


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journ in  England  Mr.  Smiles  narrates  much  that  is  entirely  new  and  of  great 
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Round  the  World, 

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Preface. 

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representing  Sporting  Adventures,  Subjects  of  Natural  History,  Devices 
for  Destroying  Wild  Animals,  &c.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

ATKINSON'S  AMOOR  REGIONS.  Travels  in  the  Regions  of  the  Upper 
and  Lower  Amoor,  and  the  Russian  Acquisitions  on  the  Confines  of  In- 
dia and  China.  With  Adventures  among  the  Mountain  Kirghis ;  and 
the  Manjours,  Manyargs,  Toungous,  Touzemts,  Goldi,  and  Geiyaks;  the 
Hunting  and  Pastoral  Tribes.  By  THOMAS  WITLAM  ATKINSON,  F.G.S., 
F.R.G.S.  With  a  Map  and  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 


2  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works  of  Travel. 

ATKINSON'S  SIBERIA.  Oriental  and  Western  Siberia :  a  Narrative  of 
Seven  Years'  Explorations  and  Adventures  in  Siberia,  Mongolia,  the 
Kirghis  Steppes,  Chinese  Tartary,  and  part  of  Central  Asia.  By  THOMAS 
WITLAM  ATKINSON.  With  a  Map  and  numerous  Illustrations.  8vo, 
Cloth,  $3  50. 

BECKWOURTH'S  AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  The  Life  and  Adventures  of 
James  P.  Beckwourth,  Mountaineer,  Soldier,  and  Pioneer,  and  Chief  of 
the  Crow  Indians.  Written  from  his  own  Dictation,  by  T.  D.  BONNES. 
With  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

EARTH'S  NORTH  AND  CENTRAL  AFRICA.  Travels  and  Discoveries 
in  North  and  Central  Africa.  Being  a  Journal  of  an  Expedition  under- 
taken under  the  Auspices  of  H.  B.  M.'s  Government,  in  the  Years  1849- 
1855.  By  HENBY  BABTH,  Ph.D.,  D.C.L.  Illustrated.  3  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth, 
$12  00. 

BALDWIN'S  AFRICAN  HUNTING.  African  Hunting,  from  Natal  to  the 
Zambesi,  including  Lake  Ngami,  the  Kalahari  Desert,  &c.,  from  1852  to 
1860.  By  WILLIAM  CHABLES  BALDWIN,  Esq.,  F.R.G.S.  With  Map,  Fifty 
Illustrations  by  Wolf  and  Zwecker,  and  a  Portrait.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

BURTON'S  LAKE  REGIONS  OF  CENTRAL  AFRICA.  The  Lake  Re- 
gions of  Central  Africa.  A  Picture  of  Exploration.  By  RIOHAED  F. 
BFBTON,  Captain  H.  M.'s  Indian  Army,  Fellow  and  Gold  Medalist  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society.  With  Maps  and  Engravings  on  Wood. 
8vo,Cloth,$350. 

BURTON'S  CITY  OF  THE  SAINTS.  The  City  of  the  Saints ;  and  Across 
the  Rocky  Mountains  to  California.  By  Captain  RIOHAED  F.  BUBTON, 
Fellow  and  Gold  Medalist  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Societies  of  France 
and  England,  H.  M.'s  Consul  in  West  Africa.  With  Maps  and  numerous 
Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  5C. 

BAIRD'S  MODERN  GREECE.  Modern  Greece :  a  Narrative  of  a  Resi- 
dence and  Travels  in  that  Country.  With  Observations  on  its  Antiqui- 
ties, Literature,  Language,  Politics,  and  Religion.  By  HENBY  M.  BAIBD, 
M.A.  Numerous  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

BROWNE'S  APACHE  COUNTRY.  Adventures  in  the  Apache  Country: 
a  Tour  through  Arizona  and  Sonora,  with  Notes  on  the  Silver  Regions 
of  Nevada.  By  J.  Ross  BBOWNE.  With  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

BROWNE'S  AMERICAN  FAMILY  IN  GERMANY.  An  American  Family 
in  Germany.  By  J.  Ross  BBOWNE.  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

BROWNE'S  CRUSOE'S  ISLAND,  CALIFORNIA,  &c.  Crusoe's  Island :  a 
Ramble  in  the  Footsteps  of  Alexander  Selkirk.  With  Sketches  of  Ad- 
venture in  California  and  Washoe.  By  J.  Ross  BBOWNE.  With  Illustra- 
tions. 12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

BROWNE'S  LAND  OF  THOR.    The  Land  of  Thor.    By  J.  Ross  BBOWNE. 

Illustrations.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 
BROWNE'S  YUSEF.    A  Crusade  in  the  East.    A  Narrative  of  Personal 

Adventures  and  Travels  on  the  Shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  in  Asia 

Minor,  Palestine,  and  Syria.    By  J.  Ross  BBOWNE.    Engravings.    12mo, 

Cloth,  $1  75. 

BUFFUM'S  SIGHTS  AND  SENSATIONS.  Sights  and  Sensations  in 
France,  Germany,  and  Switzerland ;  or,  Experiences  of  an  American 
Journalist  in  Europe.  By  EDWARD  GOULD  BUFFUM,  Author  of  "  Six 
Months  in  the  Gold  Mines,"  &c.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

BAKER'S  CAST  UP  BY  THE  SEA.  Cast  Up  by  the  Sea;  or,  the  Adven- 
tures of  Ned  Grey.  By  Sir  SAMUEL  W.  BAKKB,  M.A.,  F.R.G.S.,  Author 
of  the  "Albert  N'Yanza  Great  Basin  of  the  Nile,"  "  The  Nile  Tributaries 
of  Abyssinia,"  &c.  With  Ten  Illustrations  by  Huard.  12mo,  Cloth,  75 
cents. 

BELLOWS'S  TRAVELS.  The  Old  World  in  its  New  Face :  Impressions 
of  Europe  in  1867,  1868.  By  HENBY  W.  BELLOWS.  In  Two  Volumes. 
12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

CURTIS'S  THE  HOWADJI.IN  SYRIA.  By  GEOBGE  WILLIAM  CUBTIS. 
12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 


Valuable  and  Interesting  Works  of  Travel.          3 

CURTIS'S  NILE  NOTES  OF  A  HOWADJI.  By  GEORGE  WILLIAM  CURTIS 
12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

CUMMING'S  HUNTER'S  LIFE  IN  AFRICA.  Five  Years  of  a  Hunter's 
Life  in  the  far  Interior  of  South  Africa.  With  Notices  of  the  Native 
Tribes,  and  Anecdotes  of  the  Chase  of  the  Lion,  Elephant,  Hippopota- 
mus, Girafle,  Rhinoceros,  &c.  With  Illustrations.  By  R.  GORDON  CUM- 
MING.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

DURBIN'S  OBSERVATIONS  IN  EUROPE.  Principally  in  France  and 
Great  Britain.  By  Rev.  J.  P.  DURBIN,  D.D.  Engravings.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $300. 

DURBIN'S  OBSERVATIONS  IN  THE  EAST.  Chiefly  in  Egypt,  Pales- 
tine, Syria,  and  Asia  Minor.  By  Rev.  J.  P.  DUBBIN,  D.D.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $3  00. 

DARWIN'S  VOYAGE  OF  A  NATURALIST.  Journal  of  Researches  into 
the  Natural  History  and  Geology  of  the  Countries  visited  during  the 
Voyage  of  H.  M.  S.  Beagle  round  the  World,  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain Fitzroy,  R.  N.  By  CHABLES  DABWIN,  M.A.,  F.R.S.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $2  00. 

DAVIS'S  CARTHAGE.  Carthage  and  her  Remains :  being  an  Account 
of  the  Excavations  and  Researches  on  the  Site  of  the  Phoenician  Metrop- 
olis in  Africa  and  other  Adjacent  Places.  Conducted  under  the  Auspices 
of  Her  Majesty's  Government.  By  Dr.  N.  DAVIS,  F.R.G.S.  Profusely  Il- 
lustrated with  Maps,  Woodcuts,  Chromo-Lithographs,  &c.  8vo,  Cloth, 
$4  00* 

DILKE'S  GREATER  BRITAIN.  Greater  Britain :  a  Record  of  Travel  in 
English-speaking  Countries  during  1866  and  1867.  By  CHARLES  WENT- 
WORTH  DILKE.  With  Maps  and  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  00. 

DOOLITTLE'S  CHINA.  Social  Life  of  the  Chinese ;  with  some  Account 
of  their  Religious,  Governmental,  Educational,  and  Business  Customs 
and  Opinions.  With  special  but  not  exclusive  Reference  to  Fuhchau. 
By  Rev.  JUSTUS  DOOLITTLE,  Fourteen  Years  Member  of  the  Fuhchau 
Mission  of  the  American  Board.  Illustrated  with  more  than  150  charac- 
teristic Engravings  on  Wood.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

EWBANK'S  BRAZIL.  Life  in  Brazil ;  or,  a  Journal  of  a  Visit  to  the  Land 
of  the  Cocoa  and  the  Palm.  With  an  Appendix,  containing  Illustrations 
of  Ancient  and  South  American  Arts,  in  recently  discovered  Implements 
and  Products  of  Domestic  Industry,  and  Works  in  Stone,  Pottery,  Gold, 
Silver,  Bronze,  &c.  By  THOMAS  EWBANK.  With  over  100  Illustrations. 
8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

ELLIS'S  MADAGASCAR.  Three  Visits  to  Madagascar,  during  the  Years 
1853, 1854, 1856.  Including  a  Journey  to  the  Capital,  with  Notices  of  the 
Natural  History  of  the  Country,  and  of  the  Present  Civilization  of  the 
People.  By  the  Rev.  WILLIAM  ELLIS,  F.H.S.  Illustrated  by  a  Map  and 
Woodcuts  from  Photographs,  &c.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

GERSTAECKER'S  TRAVELS  ROUND  THE  WORLD.  Narrative  of  a 
Journey  round  the  World.  Comprising  a  Winter  Passage  across  the 
Andes  to  Chili ;  with  a  Visit  to  the  Gold  Regions  of  California  and 
Australia,  the  South  Sea  Islands,  Java,  &c.  By  F.  GERSTAEOKER.  12mo, 
Cloth,  $1  50. 

GIRONIERE'S  PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS.  Twenty  Years  in  the  Philip- 
pines. By  PAUL  DE  LA  GIRONIERE.  Revised  and  Extended  by  the  Au- 
thor expressly  for  this  Translation.  Engravings.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

GREENWOOD'S  REUBEN  DAVIDGER.  The  Adventures  of  Reuben  Da- 
vidger,  Seventeen  Years  and  Four  Months  Captive  among  the  Dyaks  of 
Borneo.  By  JAMES  GREENWOOD.  With  Engravings.  8vo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

GREENWOOD'S  WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  WORLD.  Wild  Sports  of  the 
World :  a  Book  of  Natural  History  and  Adventure.  By  JAMES  GREEN- 
WOOD. With  147  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

HALL'S  ARCTIC  RESEARCHES.  Arctic  Researches  and  Life  among  the 
Esquimaux:  being  the  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  in  Search  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  in  the  Years  1860, 1861,  and  1862.  By  CHARLES  FRANCIS  HALL. 
With  Maps  and  100  Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  Beveled,  $5  00. 


4  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works  of  Travel. 

HERODOTUS,  LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF.  The  Life  and  Travels  of  He- 
rodotus in  the  Fifth  Century  before  Christ:  an  Imaginary  Biography 
founded  on  Fact,  illustrative  of  the  History,  Manners,  Religion,  Litera- 
ture, Arts,  and  Social  Condition  of  the  Greeks,  Egyptians,  Persians, 
Babylonians,  Hebrews,  Scythians,  and  other  Ancient  Nations,  in  the 
Days  of  Pericles  and  Nehemiah.  By  J.  TALBOYS  WHEELEE,  F.R.G.S. 
Map.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

HOLTON'S  NEW  GRANADA :  Twenty  Months  in  the  Andes.  By  I.  F. 
HOLTON.  Illustrations  and  Maps.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

HUC'S  TRAVELS  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  A  Journey 
through  the  Chinese  Empire.  By  M.  Hue.  With  a  Map.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $3  00. 

LAMONT'S  SEASONS  WITH  THE  SEA-HORSES.  Seasons  with  the  Sea- 
Horses ;  or,  SportingAdventures  in  the  Northern  Seas.  By  JAMES  LA- 
MONT,  Esq.,  F.G.S.  With  Map  and  Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

LIVINGSTONE'S  SOUTH  AFRICA.  Missionary  Travels  and  Researches 
in  South  Africa ;  including  a  Sketch  of  Sixteen  Years'  Residence  in  the 
Interior  of  Africa,  and  a  Journey  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Loando 
on  the  West  Coast ;  thence  across  the  Continent,  down  the  River  Zam- 
besi, to  the  Eastern  Ocean.  By  DAVID  LIVINGSTONE,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.  With 
Portrait,  Maps  by  Arrowsmith,  and  numerous  Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth, 
$450. 

LIVINGSTONE'S  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ZAMBESI.  Narrative  of  an 
Expedition  to  the  Zambesi  and  its  Tributaries ;  and  of  the  Discovery 
of  the  Lakes  Shirwa  and  Nyassa.  1858-1864.  By  DAVIP  and  CHAELES 
LIVINGSTONE.  With  Map  and  Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

LA  YARD'S  NINEVEH.  A  Popular  Account  of  the  Discoveries  at  Nineveh. 
By  AUSTEN  HENEY  LATAKD.  Abridged  by  him  from  his  larger  Work. 
With  numerous  Wood  Engravings.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

LAYARD'S  FRESH  DISCOVERIES  AT  NINEVEH.  Fresh  Discoveries  at 
Nineveh  and  Babylon ;  with  Travels  in  Armenia,  Kurdistan,  and  the 
Desert.  Being  the  Result  of  a  Second  Expedition  undertaken  for  the 
Trustees  of  the  British  Museum.  By  AUSTEN  HENRY  LAYAEU,  M. P.  With 
all  the  Maps  and  Engravings  in  the  English  Edition.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

MADEIRA,  PORTUGAL,  AND  THE  ANDALUSIAS.  Sketches  and  Ad- 
ventures in  Madeira,  Portugal,  and  the  Andalusias  of  Spain.  By  the 
Author  of  "  Daniel  Webster  and  his  Contemporaries."  With  Illustra- 
tions. 12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

MARCY'S  ARMY  LIFE  ON  THE  BORDER.  Thirty  Years  of  Army  Life 
on  the  Border.  Comprising  Descriptions  of  the  Indian  Nomads  of  the 
Plains ;  Explorations  of  New  Territory ;  a  Trip  across  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains in  the  Winter;  Descriptions  of  the  Habits  of  Different  Animals 
found  in  the  West,  and  the  Methods  of  Hunting  them;  with  Incidents 
in  the  Life  of  different  Frontier  Men,  &c.,  &c.  By  Brevet  Brig.-General 
R.  B.  MAEOY,  U.  S.  A.  8vo,  Cloth,  Beveled  Edges,  $3  00. 

MOENS'S  ENGLISH  TRAVELERS  AND  ITALIAN  BRIGANDS.  A  Nar- 
rative of  Capture  and  Captivity.  By  W.  J.  C.  MOENS.  With  Illustra- 
tions. 12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

MOWRY'S  ARIZONA  AND  SONORA.    Arizona  and  Sonora.    The  Geogra- 

Ehy,  History,  and  Resources  of  the  Silver  Region  of  North  America.    By 
YLVESTER  MOWEY,  of  Arizona,  Graduate  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point,  late  Lieutenant  Third  Artillery,  U.  S.  A.,  Corresponding 
Member  of  the  American  Institute,  late  U.  S.  Boundary  Commissioner, 
&c.,  &c.    12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

MACGREGOR'S  ROB  ROY  ON  THE  JORDAN.  The  Rob  Roy  on  the 
Jordan,  Nile,  Red  Sea,  and  Gennesareth,  &c.  A  Canoe  Cruise  in  Pales- 
tine and  Egypt,  and  the  Waters  of  Damascus.  By  J.  MACQBEGOE,  M.A. 
With  Maps  and  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

OLIN'S  (Ds.)  TRAVELS.  Travels  in  Egypt,  Arabia  Petrsea,  and  the  Holy 
Land.  Engravings.  2  vols.,  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 


Valuable  and  Interesting  Works  of  Travel.  5 

NEVIUS'S  CHINA.  China  and  the  Chinese  :  a  General  Description  of  the 
Country  and  its  Inhabitants  ;  its  Civilization  and  Form  of  Government ; 
its  Religious  and  Social  Institutions ;  its  Intercourse  with  other  Nations ; 
and  its  Present  Condition  and  Prospects.  By  the  Rev.  JOHN  L.  NEVIUS, 
Teu  Years  a  Missionary  in  China.  With  a  Map  and  Illustrations.  12mo, 
Cloth,  $1  75. 

NEWMAN'S  FROM  DAN  TO  BEERSHEBA.  From  Dan  to  Beersheba; 
or,  the  Land  of  Promise  as  it  now  appears.  Including  a  Description  of 
the  Boundaries,  Topography,  Agriculture,  Antiquities,  Cities,  and  Pres- 
ent Inhabitants  of  that  Wonderful  Land.  With  Illustrations  of  the  Re- 
markable Accuracy  of  the  Sacred  Writers  in  their  Allusions  to  their  Na- 
tive Country.  By  Rev.  J.  P.  NEWMAN,  D.D.  Maps  and  Engravings. 
12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

OLIPHANT'S  CHINA  AND  JAPAN.  Narrative  of  the  Earl  of  Elgin's  Mis- 
sion to  China  and  Japan,  in  the  Years  1S5T,  '58,  '59.  By  LADKENCE  OLI- 
PHANT,  Private  Secretary  to  Lord  Elgin.  Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

ORTON'S  ANDES  AND  THE  AMAZON.  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon ;  or, 
Across  the  Continent  of  South  America.  By  JAMES  OKTON,  M.A.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Natural  History  in  Vassar  College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and 
Corresponding  Member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadel- 
phia. With  a  New  Map  of  Equatorial  America  and  numerous  Illustra- 
tions. Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

PAGE'S  LA  PLATA.  La  Plata,  the  Argentine  Confederation,  and  Para- 
guay. Being  a  Narrative  of  the  Exploration  of  the  Tributaries  of  the 
River  La  Plata  and  adjacent  Countries  during  the  Years  1853,  '54,  '55, 
and  '56,  tinder  the  Orders  of  the  United  States  Government.  New  Edi- 
tion, containing  Farther  Explorations  in  La  Plata  during  1859  and  1800. 
By  THOMAS  J.  PAGE,  U.  S.  N.,  Commander  of  the  Expeditions.  With 
Map  and  numerous  Engravings.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

PFEIFFER'S  SECOND  JOURNEY.  A  Lady's  Second  Journey  round  the 
World :  from  London  to  the  Cape  of  Good" Hope,  Borneo,  Java,  Sumatra, 
Celebes,  Ceram,  the  Moluccas,  &c.,  California,  Panama,  Peru,  Ecuador, 
and  the  United  States.  By  IDA  PFEIFPER.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

PFEIFFER'S  LAST  TRAVELS  AND  AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  The  Last 
Travels  of  Ida  Pfeiffer :  inclusive  of  a  Visit  to  Madagascar.  With  an 
Autobiographical  Memoir  of  the  Author.  Translated  by  H.  W.  DPLOKEN. 
Steel  Portrait.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

PRIME'S  (S.  I.)  TRAVELS  IN  EUROPE  AND  THE  EAST.  Travels  in 
Europe  and  the  East.  A  Year  in  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Wales, 
France,  Belgium,  Holland,  Germany,  Austria,  Italy,  Greece,  Turkey, 
Syria,  Palestine,  and  Egypt.  By  Rev.  SAMUEL  IKEN^EDS  PKIME,  D.D. 
Engravings.  2  vols.,  large  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

PRIME'S  (W.  C.)  BOAT-LIFE  IN  EGYPT.  Boat-Life  in  Egypt  and  Nubia. 
By  WILLIAM  C.  PEIME.  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00". 

PRIME'S  (W.  C.)  TENT-LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND.  By  WILLIAM  C. 
PEIME.  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

READE'S  SAVAGE  AFRICA.  Western  Africa:  being  the  Narrative  of  a 
Tour  in  Equatorial,  Southwestern,  and  Northwestern  Africa ;  with  Notes 
on  the  Habits  of  the  Gorilla ;  on  the  Existence  of  Unicorns  and  Tailed 
Men  ;  on  the  Slave  Trade  ;  on  the  Origin,  Character,  and  Capabilities  of 
the  Negro,  and  on  the  Future  Civilization  of  Western  Africa.  By  W. 
WINWOOD  READE,  Fellow  of  the  Geographical  and  Anthropological  Soci- 
ety of  London,  and  Corresponding  Member  of  the  Geographical  Society 
of  Paris.  With  Illustrations  and  a  Map.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

SQUIER'S  CENTRAL  AMERICA.  The  States  of  Central  America :  their 
Geography,  Topography,  Climate,  Population,  Resources,  Productions, 
Commerce,  Political  Organization,  Aborigines,  &c.,  &c.  Comprising 
Chapters  on  Honduras,  San  Salvador,  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  Guate- 
mala, Belize,  the  Bay  Islands,  the  Mosquito  Shore,  and  the  Honduras 
Inter-Oceanic  Railway.  By  E.  G.  SQUIER,  formerly  Charge  d'Affairs  of 
the  United  States  to  the  Republics  of  Central  America.  With  numerous 
Original  Maps  and  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 


6  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works  of  Travel. 

SQUIER'S  NICARAGUA.  Nicaragua:  its  People,  Scenery,  Monuments, 
Resources,  Condition,  and  Proposed  Canal.  With  One  Hundred  Maps 
and  Illustrations.  By  E.  G.  SQUIER.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

SQUIER'S  WA1KNA.  Waikna ;  or,  Adventures  on  the  Mosquito  Shore. 
By  E.  G.  SQUIEB.  With  a  Map  and  upward  of  Sixty  Illustrations.  12mo, 
Cloth,  $1  50. 

SMITH'S  ARAUCANIANS.  The  Araucanians ;  or,  Notes  of  a  Tour  among 
the  Indian  Tribes  of  Southern  Chili.  By  EDMUND  REUEL  SMITH,  of  the 
U.  S.  N.  Astronomical  Expedition  in  Chili.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

SPEKE'S  AFRICA.  Journal  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Source  of  the  Nile.  By 
Captain  JOHN  BANNING  SPEKE,  Captain  H.  M.'s  Indian  Army,  Fellow 
and  Gold  Medalist  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  Hon.  Correspond- 
ing Member  and  Gold  Medalist,  of  the  French  Geographical  Society,  &c. 
With  Maps  and  Portraits  and  numerous  Illustrations,  chiefly  from  Draw- 
ings by  Captain  Grant.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

STEPHENS'S  TRAVELS  IN  CENTRAL  AMERICA.  Travels  in  Central 
America,  Chiapas,  and  Yucatan.  By  J.  L.  STEPHENS.  With  a  Map  and 
88  Engravings.  2  vols.,  8vo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

STEPHENS'S  TRAVELS  IN  YUCATAN.  Incidents  of  Travel  in  Yucatan. 
By  J.  L.  STEPHENS.  120  Engravings,  from  Drawings  by  F.  Catherwood. 
2  vols.,  8vo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

STEPHENS'S  TRAVELS  IN  EGYPT.  Travels  in  Egypt,  Arabia  Petrsea, 
and  the  Holy  Laud.  By  J.  L.  STEPHENS.  Engravings.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $3  00. 

STEPHENS'S  TRAVELS  IN  GREECE.  Travels  in  Greece,  Turkey,  Rus- 
sia, and  Poland.  By  J.  L.  STEPHENS.  Engravings.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth, 
$300. 

THOMSON'S  LAND  AND  BOOK.  The  Land  and  the  Book ;  or,  Biblical 
Illustrations  drawn  from  the  Manners  and  Customs,  the  Scenes  and  the 
Scenery  of  the  Holy  Land.  By  W.  M.  THOMSON,  D.D.,  Twenty-five  Years 
a  Missionary  of  the  A.B.C.F.M.  in  Syria  and  Palestine.  With  two 
elaborate  Maps  of  Palestine,  an  accurate  Plan  of  Jerusalem,  and  several 
Hundred  Engravings,  representing  the  Scenery,  Topography,  and  Pro- 
ductions of  the  Holy  Land,  and  the  Costumes,  Manners,  and  Habits  of 
the  People.  Two  large  12mo  Volumes,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

VAMBERY'S  CENTRAL  ASIA.  Travels  in  Central  Asia:  being  the  Ac- 
count of  a  Journey  from  Teheran  across  the  Turkoman  Desert,  on  the 
Eastern  Shore  of  the  Caspian,  to  Khiva,  Bokhara,  and  Samarcand,  per- 
formed in  the  Year  1863.  By  ARMINIUS  VAMBEBY,  Member  of  the  Hun- 
garian Academy  of  Pesth,  by  whom  he  was  sent  on  this  Scientific  Mis- 
sion. With  Map  and  Woodcuts.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  50. 

VIRGINIA  ILLUSTRATED :  containing  a  Visit  to  the  Virginian  Canaan, 
and  the  Adventures  of  Porte  Crayon  and  his  Cousins.  Illustrated  from 
Drawings  by  POBTE  CBAYON.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

WALLACE'S  MALAY  ARCHIPELAGO.  The  Malay  Archipelago:  the 
Land  of  the  Orang-Utan  and  the  Bird  of  Paradise.  A  Narrative  of 
Travel,  1854-'62.  With  Studies  of  Man  and  Nature.  By  ALFBED  RUSSEL 
WALLACE.  With  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth, 
$350. 

WELLS'S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  HONDURAS.  Explorations  and  Adven- 
tures in  Honduras ;  comprising  Sketches  of  Travel  in  the  Gold  Regions 
of  Olancho,  and  a  Review  of  the  History  and  General  Resources  of  Cen- 
tral America.  By  WILLIAM  V.  WELLS.  With  Original  Maps  and  numer- 
ous Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

WHYMPER'S  ALASKA.  Travel  and  Adventure  in  the  Territory  of  Alaska, 
formerly  Russian  America— now  Ceded  to  the  United  States— and  in 
various  other  Parts  of  the  North  Pacific.  By  FBEDEBICK  WHYMPEB. 
With  Map  and  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

WILKINSON'S  ANCIENT  EGYPTIANS.  A  Popular  Account  of  the  An- 
cient Egyptians.  Revised  and  abridged  from  his  larger  Work.  By  Sir 
J.  GARDNER  WILKINSON,  D.C.L.,  F.R.S.,  &c.  Illustrated  with  500  Wood- 
cuts. 2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 


